The Kachin Conflict : Testing the Limits of the Political Transition in Myanmar

Fighting in Kachin state flared back up just months after President Thien Sein came to power in March 2011. The new government almost immediately began negotiating a series of peace agreements with ethnic armed groups declaring that the signature of a nationwide ceasefire with all ethnic armed group...

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Huvudupphov: Carine Jaquet
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Utgiven: Institut de recherche sur l’Asie du Sud-Est contemporaine 2021
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author Carine Jaquet
author_browse Carine Jaquet
author_facet Carine Jaquet
author_sort Carine Jaquet
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description Fighting in Kachin state flared back up just months after President Thien Sein came to power in March 2011. The new government almost immediately began negotiating a series of peace agreements with ethnic armed groups declaring that the signature of a nationwide ceasefire with all ethnic armed groups would be a priority for this first civilian administration. By convincing the majority of groups involved in armed struggle against the Tatmadaw to sign ceasefire agreements, the predominantly civilian government succeeded in winning some credibility, both nationally and internationally. At the same time, several old fault lines have re-emerged, among them the conflict in Kachin and Northern Shan States. The roots of the conflict in Kachin State between the KIO and government troops go back to grievances over control of the territory (and its lucrative natural resources) and the preservation of ethnic identity after the end of British colonial rule in 1948. The rekindling of this old conflict, after seventeen years of ceasefire, serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of certain aspects of the transition process. The setback to conflict and blockage of peace process with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and its Army (KIA) show that some structural political issues remain, such as the recognition of local power structures and decentralization. While much has been written in the media about the legal, economic, and political reforms in Myanmar; academic research about the Kachin Conflict, as well as firsthand information remains scarce. Analyzing the causes of the conflict and current impediments to peace in Kachin territories provides an illustration of the limits of the transition process. This research examines the personal experiences of a strong sample of influential Kachin people, shows the complexity of notions of war and peace in the collective Kachin memory, as well as the reinterpretation of these by local leadership for political ends.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-510302023-12-20T15:54:34Z The Kachin Conflict : Testing the Limits of the Political Transition in Myanmar Carine Jaquet JA1-92 Myanmar politics development Kachin state minorities Burma ethnic conflict marginalization army political transition centralization military state tatmadaw bic Book Industry Communication::G Reference, information & interdisciplinary subjects::GT Interdisciplinary studies::GTJ Peace studies & conflict resolution Fighting in Kachin state flared back up just months after President Thien Sein came to power in March 2011. The new government almost immediately began negotiating a series of peace agreements with ethnic armed groups declaring that the signature of a nationwide ceasefire with all ethnic armed groups would be a priority for this first civilian administration. By convincing the majority of groups involved in armed struggle against the Tatmadaw to sign ceasefire agreements, the predominantly civilian government succeeded in winning some credibility, both nationally and internationally. At the same time, several old fault lines have re-emerged, among them the conflict in Kachin and Northern Shan States. The roots of the conflict in Kachin State between the KIO and government troops go back to grievances over control of the territory (and its lucrative natural resources) and the preservation of ethnic identity after the end of British colonial rule in 1948. The rekindling of this old conflict, after seventeen years of ceasefire, serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of certain aspects of the transition process. The setback to conflict and blockage of peace process with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and its Army (KIA) show that some structural political issues remain, such as the recognition of local power structures and decentralization. While much has been written in the media about the legal, economic, and political reforms in Myanmar; academic research about the Kachin Conflict, as well as firsthand information remains scarce. Analyzing the causes of the conflict and current impediments to peace in Kachin territories provides an illustration of the limits of the transition process. This research examines the personal experiences of a strong sample of influential Kachin people, shows the complexity of notions of war and peace in the collective Kachin memory, as well as the reinterpretation of these by local leadership for political ends. 2021-02-11T17:04:23Z 2021-02-11T17:04:23Z 2019-12-06 13:15:36 2015 book 40232 9782355960154 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/51030 eng image/png http://books.openedition.org/irasec/241 Institut de recherche sur l’Asie du Sud-Est contemporaine 10.4000/books.irasec.241 10.4000/books.irasec.241 f2b6cbc3-75bd-4a16-b681-d37aef4c9df3 9782355960154 open access
spellingShingle JA1-92
Myanmar
politics
development
Kachin state
minorities
Burma
ethnic conflict
marginalization
army
political transition
centralization
military
state
tatmadaw
bic Book Industry Communication::G Reference, information & interdisciplinary subjects::GT Interdisciplinary studies::GTJ Peace studies & conflict resolution
Carine Jaquet
The Kachin Conflict : Testing the Limits of the Political Transition in Myanmar
title The Kachin Conflict : Testing the Limits of the Political Transition in Myanmar
title_full The Kachin Conflict : Testing the Limits of the Political Transition in Myanmar
title_fullStr The Kachin Conflict : Testing the Limits of the Political Transition in Myanmar
title_full_unstemmed The Kachin Conflict : Testing the Limits of the Political Transition in Myanmar
title_short The Kachin Conflict : Testing the Limits of the Political Transition in Myanmar
title_sort kachin conflict testing the limits of the political transition in myanmar
topic JA1-92
Myanmar
politics
development
Kachin state
minorities
Burma
ethnic conflict
marginalization
army
political transition
centralization
military
state
tatmadaw
bic Book Industry Communication::G Reference, information & interdisciplinary subjects::GT Interdisciplinary studies::GTJ Peace studies & conflict resolution
topic_facet JA1-92
Myanmar
politics
development
Kachin state
minorities
Burma
ethnic conflict
marginalization
army
political transition
centralization
military
state
tatmadaw
bic Book Industry Communication::G Reference, information & interdisciplinary subjects::GT Interdisciplinary studies::GTJ Peace studies & conflict resolution
url 40232
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