Today marks the 15th anniversary of the resumption of conflict between the military junta and the Kachin Independence Army on June 9, 2011. Drastically intensified by the 2021 coup, this war has caused immense suffering. While official UNHCR figures report over 244,500 people displaced in Kachin State as of June 2026, the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.
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.
