New cadets of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) are instructed by officers in a field training exercise. The KIA, out of its many officer and cadet training schools along the border of China and Burma, trains multiple ethnic armies.
An officer inspects a new wave of Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) at Laiza’s main officer training school. The KIA, one of Burma’s most experienced and toughest opposition ethnic armies, has mobilized itself for expansion, training smaller ethnic armies—such as the Arakan Army or the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF)—to strengthen the ethnic armed resistance against the Burmese government troops.
Major Tong La, commander of the third brigade, poses for a picture outside of the Mai Jai Yang Hotel. Tong La controls the land which butts right up against the Chinese border—a very important piece of territory. Even though the Kachin-controlled town of Mai Jai Yang is so close to China, the area, and its history, is fraught with unease: most if not all residents still have bunkers in their backyards to guard against an air attack from Burmese air force.
La Phai La, head of KIO judiciary and central committee member, rests after a long journey from the China–Burma border to the internally displaced person (IDP) camp Nhkawng Pa in Sangin Village. On June 9, 2011, starting in Sangin Village, the Burmese military began a new campaign of terror against the Kachin people, breaking a seven-year ceasefire. Out of the new violence, Nhkawng Pa was created, housing the villagers fleeing the Burmese military. Today, the camp, holds approximately 2,600 displaced people from 16 villages and 367 families.
A recovering heroin addict poses for a picture in KIO-run addiction centre. Drugs, especially heroin and yaba—methamphetamine pills whose name loosely translates to “crazy drug”—are very big problems along Burma’s eastern border. This area, known as the golden triangle, is historically an opium-producing territory due to poppy growth in its mountainous geography which allows for high yields of the crop. However, in recent years the area has seen a large influx of yaba as it is easier to produce, attaining precursor chemical from Chinese businessmen from across the border. The KIA has a very strict anti-drug policy, but due to its operations base’s proximity (Laiza) to the Chinese border, and the fact that it is in the middle of the golden triangle, the Kachin state still has a large amount of drugs run through its territory.
A priest delivers a sermon on December 1, 2014 to mark the beginning of the Christmas celebrations in the Kachin state. The Kachin people are now mostly Christian or Catholic due to missionaries entering Burma in the pre-colonial period. Before the introduction of the Christian religion, the Kachin people were mostly animist—the belief that all things have a spirit or soul—relying on traditions passed down from their village elders.
Two officers take a break during a cadet training session in the jungle outside of Laiza on the China–Burma border.
A solider poses for a portrait during a training exercise. The KIA is constantly training new recruits for both its own armed forces and other ethnic armies, keeping their troop numbers high to defend against an attack from the Burmese military.
An officer embraces his daughter as he watches a group of NCOs complete parade formation drills.
A base guard poses for a portrait at an outpost along the China–Burma border.
Three women sell their crops at the morning market in Nhkawng Pa IDP camp. Outside of farming tiny plots of land and gathering firewood there are very few opportunities for the displaced people of Nhkawng Pa to make a living.
Zinwa Naw pauses while retelling the tragic story of when the Burmese military ransacked Sangin Village. Zinwa Naw is a village elder who was also an assistant pastor in his village’s church at the time the Burmese military chose his village to renew their civil war and end a seven-year ceasefire.
15- Lanang Bawk La and Nhkum Hkawn Lum pose with their twin girls at the Jayang IDP camp, just outside of Laiza. Laiza, the KIA/KIO capital city, acts as a centre of safety for refugees that live in the IDP camps that surround the city.
16- A family poses in the doorway to their house within the Jayang IDP camp on the outskirts of Laiza. After the attack on Sangin Village, more and more IDP camps have been contracted to be built in order to deal with the influx of refugees fleeing the Burmese military harassment.
Cadets get ready to march during a training mission along the China–Burma border. Young men and women from all over Burma travel to Laiza to be trained by the KIA due to their prestigious military history and their effectiveness in fending off the Burmese military.
18- An officer inspects his cadets during a training exercise on the China–Burma border.
19- A large tiled crucifix stands atop a hill at the Kachin military outpost of Wara Pum.
Days after having his leg amputated from being hit by an artillery shell, a cadet lies on a wooden hospital bed. On November 19, 2014, the Burmese military, unprovoked, fired a 105 mm howitzer shell at a cadet training camp, killing 23 cadets and seriously wounding 18 others. This picture is proof of the ongoing violence Burma’s ethnic minorities suffer at the hands of the Burmese military.
A child poses for a portrait during the morning market in Nhkawng Pa IDP camp.
A child poses with a toy AK-47 rifle in the field behind his middle school. Due to a law that prohibits schools from teaching ethnic languages and cultures within Burma, Laiza is one of the few cities inside Burma where Kachin children are taught their language, culture, and history due to the fact that it is controlled by the KIA.
Two young women pose outside of their home in the Jayang IDP camp. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) helps fund many refugee projects within Burma; their signs can be seen throughout the IDP camps surrounding Laiza.
An officer instructs a new group of cadets on an attack-and-defend exercise at the Mungseng Yang Training Camp. The current KIA is a volunteer army; however, they have used conscription in the past multiple times to quell troop shortages.
A solider takes a break and checks his phone on a log during a training exercise along the China–Burma border.
A technician rests in the Mai Chyu Hka Wan Jak Hydroelectric Dam on the China–Burma border. China builds roads and dams for the Kachin people at no cost with the intention of building-up the state’s infrastructure and consequently attaining mineral and lumber concessions (of which the Kachin state is rich in) in the future.
Two young moon bears are kept in captivity in a makeshift cage at the Mai Jai Yang golf course. Because of the region and culture, animal products are used quite openly—where tiger claws, bear gallbladders, and other such goods can be purchased from many local dealers within the Kachin state.
Two labourers work on a newly constructed road along the China–Burma border. Infrastructure is constantly being worked on within the Kachin state with lots of help from across the border, in the form of Chinese materials and funding.
This Kachin-made KA-09 rifle is based-off of the famous AK-47 model. The KIA decided to make their own rifles not only because of shipping and transport concerns, but also because of the geopolitical ramifications of buying arms from a country that may have close ties to Burma’s military, such as China or Thailand.
32- The groom Hkum Sinwa and bride Ura Roi Tawng at their wedding ceremony in Kachin state. The scripture in the background translates to: “May all things grow up into Christ as we keep being faithful and righteous” citing Isaiah 26:2-4 and Matthew 25:14-30.
A young nurse poses for a portrait outside her residence. Laiza has a functioning hospital that treats many ailments; however, most materials and resources are donated from various NGOs, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
A police officer patrols the roads of Laiza. Laiza’s main policing problems revolve around motor accidents involving alcohol, with few other crimes being committed.
Three officers follow a column of cadets on a training exercise outside of Laiza.