The Burmese military has ruled and waged civil war within the territory of the union of Burma for many decades. As a result, Kachin and non-Burman ethnicities have been enduring severe hardship, such as impoverishment, and lack of access to health and education. In 1994, a ceasefire agreement was signed between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO/A) and the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), but did not lead to any political negotiation. Instead, the SPDC took advantage of the agreement to start large-scale extraction of natural resources from the territory of Kachin State.