In response to my earlier post that mentioned northern Burma’s Rawang Rebellion Resistance Force (RRF), a long-time New Mandala reader has sent some important background information:
The Rawang were the only major tribe to not join the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)/Kachin Independence Army (KIA), although there have been individual Rawangs involved with both groups. This is largely due to inept organizing by the KIO. The KIO got caught up in a local conflict between some of the Lisus in Putao area and the Rawangs. This touched off a civil war in the 1960s, that based on the numbers I’ve seen, potentially could amount to 7,000 individuals killed. Given the population involved, this is a large number, and there is still plenty of residual animosity between the Rawangs (and some Lisus) and the Jinghpaw (and some other Lisus), which the regime is apparently eager to exploit. Some of the earlier Kachin News Group’s reports noted that Lisus were also being recruited to the Rebellion Resistance Force, and I would assume these are from groups traditionally allied with the Rawang.
It also appears that while this militia is recruited from the Rawangs (and Lisus) from around Putao, the area where they appear to be based, and given access to economic resources, is an area largely inhabited by Maru, Lashi, and Atsi. If that is the case, then the military regime may very well be trying to foment even further divisions between the various Kachin groups. Also, the transport of the Rebellion Resistance Force to central Burma may be a further attempt to foster divisions among ethnic groups, since if they are used against the largely Burman population, you would have yet another example of the regime setting different groups against each other in an attempt to “divide and rule”. The cruel irony here is that the military has always pushed the line that the British imperialists deliberately set the different ethnic groups against each other.
4 responses so far ↓
1 James Haughton // Sep 27, 2007 at 11:04 am
What’s the religious affiliation of the Rawangs? Might they be more willing to take action against monks?
2 aiontay // Sep 27, 2007 at 11:54 am
The Rawangs are largely Christian, so they certainly don’t think they deterred by the fact that they were monks, but then the Burmese military hasn’t shown any reluctance to shoot their co-religionists.
3 aiontay // Sep 27, 2007 at 2:25 pm
James,
I was on my way out the door when I wrote my response to your question, and I hope I didn’t sound too flip. The issue of Rawang religion probably is a factor, but maybe not in the way you might think. Even if the Rawangs are Christians with the common (in my experience) Kachin antipathy to Buddhism, they still know that killing monks is something of a social blunder in the broader Burmese society. Besides, based on the reports the RRF has something in the neighborhood of 500 troops, while there are tens of thousands of monks demonstrating in several cities across the country. The military regime needs a lot more than 500 troops willing to shoot or beat monks, and all the reports indicate they have them.
I think the goal would more likely be to keep fomenting communal strife, even in cases where none has previously existed, in order to maintain power. Dictatorships frequently preach national unity, but in practice do everything possible to set different groups at each others throats. Even though the monks and civilian Burman Buddhists may clearly see that the Burman-dominated, Buddhist military regime is using on a group of non-Burman Christians as pawns to shoot monks, the reality will be that they did in fact shoot the monks, if it comes to that. There will therefore be more animosity and distrust, and every division in the broader society, however small, works to the regime’s advantage.
It is definitely worth keeping an eye out to see what kind of role the RRF plays.
4 European scholars tour Burma // Oct 9, 2007 at 4:03 am
[...] regime against the KIA, and also Khun Sa. The Kachin Rangers would be sort of analogous to the Rawang RRF. However, I don’t think they are included in the three forces Mahtu Naw referenced; I [...]
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