Organised by Kachinland Research Centre, Humanity Institute, Myitkyina
Date: 24th-25th April 2017,
KTCS Auditorium, Nawng Nang, Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar
About the Symposium
The symposium on Kachinland on the theme “War in Kachinland: History, Culture, Power, And Perspective” will be held on 24-25 April 2017 in Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar. Kachinland Research Centre of Humanity Institute will be the host institution for this two-day multi-disciplinary symposium, which will bring together scholars, policy-makers and practitioners in order to address challenges, and different aspects of war in Kachinland. The main objective of the symposium is to discuss the origin, nature, scope, and impact of war in Kachinland including possible ways to address challenges. The symposium intends to raise the following questions:
- What are the prevailing theoretical, and historical perspectives on the causes of civil war in Kachinland? Are they sufficient in explaining war in Kachinland?
- What are the political, economic and social consequences of the war? How have individuals and communities responded to the war’s differentiated impacts through practices of culture, power, and resilience?
Concept Note
Kachinland encompasses Kachin State, Northern Shan State in Myanmar, Dai-Jinghpo autonomous prefecture of Yunnan Province in China, and, Changlang, Bordumsa, Lohit, and Tinsukia Districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India. Among these areas, most Kachin live in Kachin State and Northern Shan State.
Looking at the modern political history of the Kachin, civil war and armed rebellion have been the defining themes. Except for two short periods of relative peace from 1948 to 1961, and from 1994 to 2010, for the Kachin war has been the order of the day. Ever since the first fighting started on 8 May 1961 in Northern Shan State between the Kachin Independence Army and the Tatmadaw, war had been an integral part of Kachin’s national life in negative as well as positive ways. In 1994 a cease-fire agreement was reached between the KIO and the Tatmadaw, and lasting for 17 years. Since 2011, a renewed civil war has persisted in Kachinland, forcing more than 100, 000 civilians to live in IDP camps.
Though war has been one of the defining factors in shaping the socio-political and economic aspects of life in Kachinland, few systematic studies had been undertaken so far due to restrictions under military rule. This symposium, thus, intends to support such studies on the causes and consequences of war in Kachinland through the prisms of different academic disciplines.
Funding
Selected scholars will be provided with local accommodation, local travel allowances (excluding plane tickets).
Individual Paper Submission
Interested scholars apart from contributors to the Kachinland Research Journal (October/November Issue, 2017) are requested to submit an abstract of 500-600 words to kachinlandrc@gmail.com. Please include your name and email address in the abstract, and title the subject of of your email: – ABSTRACT- “TITLE OF THE PAPER.”
Important Dates
For contributors of KRJ
Submission of full paper: 15th March 2017
For others
Submission of abstract: 10th March 2017
Submission of draft paper: 10th April 2017
Note: Paper presenters are requested to express their interest in participating at the earliest possible day.
Kachinland Research Centre 