Comments on: Armed groups at the Myitkyina Manau http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/ New perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:39:39 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Patronage and power in northern Burma http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/comment-page-1/#comment-523978 Patronage and power in northern Burma Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:07:22 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/#comment-523978 [...] to the State Peace and Development Council I had, from time-to-time, seen Major-General Ohn Myint in action. He was previously the Northern Commander of the tatmadaw and the Chairman of the Kachin State [...]

]]> By: Hla Oo http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/comment-page-1/#comment-503801 Hla Oo Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:30:15 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/#comment-503801 Your post and photos reminds me of the Manaw Bwe scene from that book "A Boy Soldier" I have read last year. The book was based on the period of early seventies when KIA and Burmese Army were fighting each other in a savage war. In the book, local KIA Battalion and the local Burmese Army Battalion arranged a temporary ceasefire so that the village could have a long suspended Manaw celebrations for that war-torn region right by the China border. I am glad that people now have a lasting peace in Kachin State and enjoy the Manaw Festival. I hope the current ceasefire will last forever! Your post and photos reminds me of the Manaw Bwe scene from that book “A Boy Soldier” I have read last year. The book was based on the period of early seventies when KIA and Burmese Army were fighting each other in a savage war.

In the book, local KIA Battalion and the local Burmese Army Battalion arranged a temporary ceasefire so that the village could have a long suspended Manaw celebrations for that war-torn region right by the China border.

I am glad that people now have a lasting peace in Kachin State and enjoy the Manaw Festival. I hope the current ceasefire will last forever!

]]> By: aiontay http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/comment-page-1/#comment-320860 aiontay Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:23:46 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/#comment-320860 The Rawang style certainly is a bit more impressive than the standard Jinghpaw style, although I'm partial to Jinghpaw style nhpye (shoulder bags). Still, I can't help but wonder if there isn't a political aspect to the choice of costume. After all the Rawangs are the one Kachin group that did not support the KIO, except for some individuals, and in fact there was a civil war between the KIO and the Rawangs back in the 1960s. Of course, this was a celebration of the Kachin State, so maybe it was an attempt to be inclusive of all the Kachin groups, but he could have worn Atsi, Lashi or Maru attire. Oh, and for it to be chiefly attire, I think there is supposed to be a tiger jaw attached to the scabbard. The Rawang style certainly is a bit more impressive than the standard Jinghpaw style, although I’m partial to Jinghpaw style nhpye (shoulder bags). Still, I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t a political aspect to the choice of costume. After all the Rawangs are the one Kachin group that did not support the KIO, except for some individuals, and in fact there was a civil war between the KIO and the Rawangs back in the 1960s. Of course, this was a celebration of the Kachin State, so maybe it was an attempt to be inclusive of all the Kachin groups, but he could have worn Atsi, Lashi or Maru attire.

Oh, and for it to be chiefly attire, I think there is supposed to be a tiger jaw attached to the scabbard.

]]> By: Nicholas Farrelly http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/comment-page-1/#comment-320802 Nicholas Farrelly Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:34:32 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/#comment-320802 Thanks Aiontay, You are right - I think... Just to further complicate matters, there is also a picture of Kachin jade and timber tycoon, Sutdu Yup Zau Hkawng, on the front page of 2008's Jinghpaw Mungdaw Nsen (Vol.1, No.2), that has him wearing a very similiar (the same?) outfit. Yup Zau Hkawng is, as far as I know, not Rawang...not even close. Of course the outfit worn from time-to-time by both the Northern Commander and Yup Zau Hkawng is a particularly impressive one. Does that explain why it is used in this way? Or is it (now?) actually a "chiefly" outfit that crosses the boundaries of the various "Kachin" groups? Suggestions from readers are, as always, very welcome. Best wishes to all. Thanks Aiontay,

You are right – I think…

Just to further complicate matters, there is also a picture of Kachin jade and timber tycoon, Sutdu Yup Zau Hkawng, on the front page of 2008’s Jinghpaw Mungdaw Nsen (Vol.1, No.2), that has him wearing a very similiar (the same?) outfit. Yup Zau Hkawng is, as far as I know, not Rawang…not even close.

Of course the outfit worn from time-to-time by both the Northern Commander and Yup Zau Hkawng is a particularly impressive one. Does that explain why it is used in this way? Or is it (now?) actually a “chiefly” outfit that crosses the boundaries of the various “Kachin” groups? Suggestions from readers are, as always, very welcome.

Best wishes to all.

]]> By: aiontay http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/comment-page-1/#comment-320783 aiontay Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:22:18 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/#comment-320783 If I'm not mistaken the Northern Commander is wearing Rawang chiefly regalia. I wonder if he got it from the Rawang militias he's been organizing. Interesting choice of attire. If I’m not mistaken the Northern Commander is wearing Rawang chiefly regalia. I wonder if he got it from the Rawang militias he’s been organizing. Interesting choice of attire.

]]> By: Nicholas Farrelly http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/comment-page-1/#comment-320131 Nicholas Farrelly Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:03:42 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/#comment-320131 Thanks Jon - sorry to hear that comments have been dropped. Sorry for the disruptions. Please let me know if there is anything we can do to help. And, Grasshopper, thanks for your question - as you suggest it is hard to say definitively. Of course, the senior Burmese Army contingent (which included a few other generals) had a number of engagements with the high and mighty from the Kachin side. This is not surprising. Many on all (elite) sides of the current ceasefire "divide" work closely together on a range of issues. But I think your question is more about "ordinary" contacts between the Burmese Army and the Kachin. From what I saw and heard around the Manau there was no great appreciation for the Burmese Army presence. They are tolerated, perhaps only because they are so heavily armed. This is not really an exceptional situation. In fact, from what I saw, many of the Burmese soldiers didn't expect to be greeted warmly. They know the score. The BNI (Kachin News Group) report is certainly one interpretation of what happened. In this series of posts I hope to show a number of other aspects of the festival. The Manau was tense - there is no question about that. I also hope to clarify some of those tensions in coming posts. But if you have more questions before then, please feel free to ask. Best wishes to all. Thanks Jon – sorry to hear that comments have been dropped. Sorry for the disruptions. Please let me know if there is anything we can do to help.

And, Grasshopper, thanks for your question – as you suggest it is hard to say definitively. Of course, the senior Burmese Army contingent (which included a few other generals) had a number of engagements with the high and mighty from the Kachin side. This is not surprising. Many on all (elite) sides of the current ceasefire “divide” work closely together on a range of issues.

But I think your question is more about “ordinary” contacts between the Burmese Army and the Kachin. From what I saw and heard around the Manau there was no great appreciation for the Burmese Army presence. They are tolerated, perhaps only because they are so heavily armed. This is not really an exceptional situation. In fact, from what I saw, many of the Burmese soldiers didn’t expect to be greeted warmly. They know the score.

The BNI (Kachin News Group) report is certainly one interpretation of what happened. In this series of posts I hope to show a number of other aspects of the festival.

The Manau was tense – there is no question about that. I also hope to clarify some of those tensions in coming posts. But if you have more questions before then, please feel free to ask.

Best wishes to all.

]]> By: jonfernquest http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/comment-page-1/#comment-319884 jonfernquest Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:12:38 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/#comment-319884 Thanks for the nice photos. I'll be amazed if this actually makes it through since every comment to this blog for the last week has been dropped. Thanks for the nice photos. I’ll be amazed if this actually makes it through since every comment to this blog for the last week has been dropped.

]]> By: Grasshopper http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/comment-page-1/#comment-319862 Grasshopper Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:54:44 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/01/31/armed-groups-at-the-myitkyina-manau/#comment-319862 This is really fantastic. This article: http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3315&Itemid=6 paints a picture of tension during the festival. In relation to the KIA man with the KIO scarf and what you said in a previous response to Aiontay that <em>For most of the Manau, Burmese troops were stationed around the whole site in all the most important locations. At times they even patrolled the dancing area itself. Their presence was particularly marked during the period on 10 January when the Northern Commander, Major-General Ohn Myint, attended</em>, did you see any Burmese Army unofficially mixing with Kachin? Haha. Maybe it is a silly idea, but I think that sort of thing would provide greater hope for outsiders as opposed to believing that this manau did more to promote Kachin fascism as a result of the facades revealed in Burmese sincerity. (That is if the BNI article is to be believed..) I apologize if that question is a bit 'yes' or 'no'. My intent is just to find out how secular this festival is and so any elaboration on that would be excellent! :) This is really fantastic.

This article:
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3315&Itemid=6

paints a picture of tension during the festival. In relation to the KIA man with the KIO scarf and what you said in a previous response to Aiontay that For most of the Manau, Burmese troops were stationed around the whole site in all the most important locations. At times they even patrolled the dancing area itself. Their presence was particularly marked during the period on 10 January when the Northern Commander, Major-General Ohn Myint, attended, did you see any Burmese Army unofficially mixing with Kachin? Haha. Maybe it is a silly idea, but I think that sort of thing would provide greater hope for outsiders as opposed to believing that this manau did more to promote Kachin fascism as a result of the facades revealed in Burmese sincerity. (That is if the BNI article is to be believed..) I apologize if that question is a bit ‘yes’ or ‘no’. My intent is just to find out how secular this festival is and so any elaboration on that would be excellent! :)

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