Who Are the Kachin?
The Kachin (Jingpo in China) are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of approximately 1.5 million people, primarily in Myanmar's Kachin State and China's Yunnan Province. The term "Kachin" encompasses several related groups including Jingpo, Rawang, Lisu, Lachid, and Zaiwa. Kachin State sits atop some of the world's richest jade deposits, making resource control central to ongoing conflict between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Myanmar's military. Christianity, introduced by American Baptist missionaries, became central to Kachin identity, now claimed by over 90% of the population.
The Manau Festival
The Manau is the Kachin's most important cultural celebration—a multi-day festival featuring mass dancing around tall decorated posts (manau posts) carved with traditional designs. Dancers in elaborate traditional dress move in spiraling patterns symbolizing the journey from the mythical land of origin. Originally a spirit propitiation ceremony for specific occasions, Manau has become an annual cultural celebration and marker of Kachin unity. Even in displacement camps housing civilians fleeing conflict, communities erect Manau posts and hold abbreviated celebrations, maintaining identity amid crisis.
Jade and Conflict
Myanmar's Kachin State contains the world's largest and finest jade deposits—an industry worth billions annually. Control of jade has fueled decades of conflict. The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and its armed wing, the KIA, have fought for autonomy since 1961. Ceasefires have repeatedly collapsed; fighting displaced over 100,000 people since 2011. The military profits from jade while Kachin communities see little benefit. Environmental devastation from mining scars the landscape. Jade thus represents both potential wealth and a resource curse driving continued conflict.
Christianity and Identity
Baptist missionaries arrived in the 1870s, and Christianity spread rapidly among Kachin. Today, approximately 90% identify as Christian, primarily Baptist, with Catholicism a significant minority. Churches became centers of community organization, education, and social services. Christianity provided a unifying identity across diverse Kachin subgroups and distinguished Kachin from Buddhist Burmans. In recent conflicts, churches have sheltered displaced persons, and religious networks facilitate humanitarian aid. Faith intersects with political identity: being Kachin and being Christian are deeply intertwined.
Ongoing Struggle
The Kachin independence struggle is among Asia's longest-running conflicts. The KIO controls significant territory, maintaining parallel governance including schools, courts, and health services. Peace negotiations have repeatedly stalled over autonomy arrangements, resource sharing, and military integration. The 2021 military coup in Myanmar ended democratic transition and intensified conflict. Kachin forces fight alongside other ethnic armies against the junta. For civilians, decades of conflict mean displacement, landmines, and uncertain futures. Yet Kachin identity and aspirations for self-determination persist despite immense costs.
References
- Leach, E. R. (1954). Political Systems of Highland Burma
- Sadan, M. (2013). Being and Becoming Kachin: Histories Beyond the State in the Borderworlds of Burma
- Global Witness (2015). Jade: Myanmar's "Big State Secret"