Well there are two Kachins in my opinion. Free Kachin and junta controlled Kachin.
When I went to Myitkynia (capital of Kachin State) I could understand the overall situation of the Kachin much better.
When I arrived in Myitkynia I tried to speak Jinghpaw (Kachin language) to people at the train station and downtown but none understood Jinghpaw. It was all Burmese, Chinese and Indians.
It was also hard to find real Kachin food downtown. That made me realize the Kachins are in serious threat of losing their homeland.
I see the Kachins are fighting in three major fronts, Political, Cultural and Health. The KIO (Kachin Independence Organization) and all Kachins need to keep vigilant on all fronts. Socially the Kachins are quite strong. Their clan system of kinship keeps them close and strong. But the junta's best skill is perhaps dividing and conquering. With the border guard issue they have already caused some factions among the Kachin cease-fire groups to deepen.
Considering all the difficulties the Kachins are facing I'm impressed with the level of success they have achieved in Health care and Education.
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