Kachin Soldiers

The 17-year-long ceasefire agreement between the so-called ‘reform government’ of Burma and the Kachin Independent Organisation broke down on 9 June 2011 at the Burmese army’s initiation. So far the current civil war has already produced more than 100,000 Kachin refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Within a year, numerous killings and instances of torture, rape and abuse committed by the Burmese soldiers have been documented.

On the Kachin side, civilians are involved in the fighting, alongside political leaders and soldiers. They are defending their national identity which is under assault by the Burmese military who are threatening the complete extermination of Burma’s Kachin community

In the current civil war, Kachin soldiers are playing an important role. Many of them joined the army to protect their land and cultural identity. For them fighting for future generations of Kachin people is more important than their own life. Their first intentions were not to become soldiers. They joined the army in the hope of resisting the brutal attacks waged against the Kachin people by the Burmese government and of preventing the inhuman acts of the Burmese soldiers.

Many of the photographs taken by Green in north-eastern Burma in the 1920s feature Kachin soldiers. These soldiers worked under the British colonial administration and served in the British Army. Green described them as the being amongst the ‘toughest and most disciplined’ of British military recruits.

Today the majority of the Kachin population respects and supports the Kachin soldiers since they understand their underlying desires. Moreover, Kachins believe that Kachin soldiers are brave and skilful as history has proved.

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My name is Gumring and I am a member of the Kachin ethnic community of Burma. Facing many current political challenges and uncertainties, Kachinland is located in north-eastern Burma, between India and China.

I was awarded a scholarship from the James Henry Green Charitable Trust for my postgraduate studies at the University of Sussex. Currently I am working on the James Henry Green collection of photographs and textiles relating to the Kachin community in Burma. This is my third blog about this collection, which is cared for at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.

Weaving at Home

As a Kachin person, I believe that cultural heritage is one of the most valuable things we have. As a community struggling in the midst of political instability and uncertainty, culture offers a constructive tool for building Kachin identity. Even such a regular routine such as weaving clothing at home can be considered an important form of heritage and culture, which also produces various splendid textiles.

The picture below was taken by James Henry Green in north-eastern Burma in the early years of the twentieth century. In this photograph a young girl is weaving. The Kachins grow cotton and make clothes, turbans, blankets, and shoulder bags for themselves. Normally, it is Kachin women who weave. Even though it may appear to be a normal household chore, it produces beautiful and unique Kachin textile patterns.

Today, amongst other cultural products in Burma, Kachin textiles can be regarded as one of the most distinctive and popular. While Kachin clothing was only worn by Kachin people in the early 1900s, nowadays some Kachin textile designs are produced and worn by different ethnic people. For contemporary Kachin people these textiles remain a visible symbol of their cultural identity.

‘Hkahku girl weaving.’ Photograph by James Henry Green, 1926

My name is Gumring and I am a member of the Kachin ethnic community of Burma. Facing many current political challenges and uncertainties, Kachinland is located in north-eastern Burma, between India and China.

I was awarded a scholarship from the James Henry Green Charitable Trust for my postgraduate studies at the University of Sussex. Currently I am working on the James Henry Green collection of photographs and textiles relating to the Kachin community in Burma. This is my second blog about this collection, which is cared for at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.

Traditional Kachin Houses

‘Nung houses at Nhkum ga, and girls pounding rice in the porches.’ Photograph by James Henry Green, 1926

For Kachin people the house-building process was socially and culturally meaningful. Ola Hanson, author of Kachin Customs and Traditions (1913), noted that house-building was seen as a ‘communal affair’. He reported that when a person wanted to build a house he would first get the timber from the forest. When all the materials were ready he would call his neighbours and fellow villagers to help him by using drums, gongs and cymbals. Then the neighbours and villagers would come and help to build the house. When it was done, a celebration would be held.

Nowadays, this process is gradually vanishing and many Kachins (especially the younger generation) are not aware of this tradition. Moreover, when modernised houses appear as popular and ideal houses, the traditional houses fall out of favour.

‘Atsis roofing house’. Photograph by James Henry Green, 1920s

In the 1990s Kachin elders from Myitkyina, capital of Kachin State, told how a ‘Dumsa’ (an animist priest) would divine where a new house should be built. He would take soil from where the main post of the house should be placed. Historically, the Kachins built two types of houses called ‘Daw Hpum House’ and ‘Daw Gam House’ depending on the type of post used (‘daw hpum’ or ‘daw gam’). Broadly speaking, it was customary to build different types of houses for ‘magam’ (the authorities), ‘duwas’ (village chiefs) and ‘darat daroi’ (normal civilians). The classification of a house, however, depended on the governing system of a particular village.

Photographs taken in north-eastern Burma by James Henry Green in the 1920s show different types of Kachin houses in different villages. Looking at these photographs one can imagine how the process house-building was, for Kachins, culturally and socially meaningful.

‘Porch of Triangle Chief’s house. Showing Madai Nat. P.R.’ Photograph by James Henry Green, 1926

My name is Gumring and I am a member of the Kachin ethnic community of Burma. Facing many current political challenges and uncertainties, Kachinland is located in north-eastern Burma, between India and China.

I was awarded a scholarship from the James Henry Green Charitable Trust for my postgraduate studies at the University of Sussex. Currently I am working on the James Henry Green collection of photographs and textiles relating to the Kachin community in Burma. This is my first blog about this collection, which is cared for at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.