By Tony Cliff :
It's believed in Laiza headquarters that an attack from the Myanmar army can only occur between the elections and the formal transfer of power from the military to a new civilian administration, which must take place within three months of this Sunday's vote. "They have to clean up the situation before a new government starts to work," predicts one KIA officer at the group's war ready camp. (More+++News)
Exceptional ethnic
The Kachin have always been an exception in Myanmar's complex ethnic jigsaw. Their state, at 89,000 square kilometers, or more than twice the size of Switzerland, is one the country's largest administrative entities. With an estimated population of just 1.36 million, according to most recent official statistics, it's also among the least inhabited - the country's has a population of up to 55 million people. It only takes a quick look at the map to realize that more than half of Kachin is filled with hard-to-navigate mountains.
The predominantly Christian Kachin ethnic population is estimated at 1.2 million, half of whom live in Kachin State and the other half elsewhere in the country. About 300,000 Kachin also live in neighboring China, where they are known as "Jinpo". For historical reasons, the Kachin have managed to develop a strong social and educational system, which has made them one of the country's most sophisticated ethnic groups.
More+++The war to come in Myanmar++++
