Back Kachin Independence Army German Ejército para la Independencia Kachin Spanish Armée pour l'indépendance kachin French Tentara Kemerdekaan Kachin ID Ndị Agha Nnwere Onwe nke Kachin IG カチン独立軍 Japanese 카친 독립군 Korean ကချင်လွတ်မြောက်ရေးတပ်မတော် Burmese Exército pela Independência Kachin Portuguese Армия независимости Качина Russian

Kachin Independence Army

Kachin Independence Army
LeadersGen. N'Ban La[1]
Lt. Gen. Gam Shawng[2]
Dates of operation5 February 1961 (1961-02-05) – present
HeadquartersLaiza (since 2005)
Pajau (formerly)
Active regionsKachin State, Mandalay Region, Sagaing Region, Shan State, Myanmar
Yunnan, China
Northeast India
China-Myanmar border
India-Myanmar border
IdeologyKachin nationalism
Federalism
Size20,000[3]
Part ofKachin Independence Organisation
AlliesNorthern Alliance[4]

Other allies

OpponentsState opponents

Non-state opponents

Battles and warsInternal conflict in Myanmar

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA; Kachin: Wunpawng Mungdan Shanglawt Hpyen Dap; Burmese: ကချင်လွတ်လပ်ရေးတပ်မတော်) is a non-state armed group and the military wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), a political group of ethnic Kachins in Northern Myanmar (formerly Burma). The Kachins are a coalition of six tribes whose homeland encompasses territory in China's Yunnan, Northeast India and Kachin State in Myanmar.

The Kachin Independence Army is funded by the KIO, which raises money through regional taxes and trade in jade, timber and gold. It is armed with a combination of AK-47s, locally-made rifles (such as KA) and some artillery. Kachin Independence Army headquarters are in Laiza, in southern Kachin State near the Chinese border.[8]

In 2009, Thomas Fuller of the New York Times estimated the number of active KIA soldiers at about 4,000.[9] They are divided into five brigades and one mobile brigade. Most are stationed in bases near the Chinese border, in KIO-held strips of territory.[9] In October 2010, KIA commanders said that they had "16,000 regular troops and 10,000 reservists".[10] In May 2012, the group had about 8,000 troops.[11] The Kachin Independence Army members are mostly militants.[12]

  1. ^ Kumbun, Joe (2 January 2018). "Analysis: KIO Kicks Off New Year with New Leadership". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Kachin Militia Appoints New Leaders Amid Ongoing Hostilities With Myanmar Forces". Radio Free Asia. 3 January 2018. Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) | Myanmar Peace Monitor". mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  4. ^ Lynn, Kyaw Ye. "Curfew imposed after clashes near Myanmar-China border". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Dozens of regime soldiers reportedly killed in clashes with PDFs in eastern Sagaing". Myanmar Now. 29 June 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  6. ^ Nyein Swe (12 August 2022). "Junta forces torch Hpakant Township village after forcing KIA withdrawal, locals say". Myanmar Now. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024.
  7. ^ "KIA: Nine Myanmar Junta Strongholds Seized in Two Days". The Irrawaddy. 23 March 2024.
  8. ^ Leithead 2010.
  9. ^ a b Fuller 2009.
  10. ^ BBC staff 2010.
  11. ^ AP, 4 May 2012, Myanmar state media report battles between government troops, Kachin rebels killed 31
  12. ^ McDonald, Josh. "The Christian Vigilantes Fighting Myanmar's Heroin Epidemic". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.

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