This year I didn’t make it to Myitkyina for the annual Kachin State Day Manau held in the week around 10 January. I was there last year and readers interested in some of my pictures (and thoughts) from then can find them here.
I have, however, been following the coverage of this year’s event online. The Kachin News Group has kept up a steady stream of interesting reports.
One report highlights the particular attention that the Burmese security forces paid to foreigners who made the journey to Myitkyina. Of course, this is hardly a new (or unexpected) development. It must be exciting for the local Military Affairs Security guys to get on “high alert” with the influx of foreign visitors. It’s not like Myitkyina gets many tourists at other times of the year. (As an aside, I was intrigued to read that the subversive Swiss were the largest group of non-Chinese visitors to this year’s Manau.)
In 2008 all of the gates to the Manau ground had a regular photographer to snap anybody interesting who passed their way. And then there were the dozen or so guys with their standard black leather jackets, sunnies and (for the more senior ones) ear pieces. They were very high profile in their efforts to keep tabs on the town’s foreign guests.
With that in mind, I wonder if the Burmese bloke with the camera that takes pictures from the side was still plying his trade this year? He was, ummm, very “James Bond”.
1 response so far ↓
1 aiontay // Jan 19, 2009 at 1:32 pm
One of the most interesting articles for me was”Manau Festival More Than Cultural Identity and Dignity”. First, I would like to know more about the suspicion that Chinese Kachins were manipulating the Manau. How exactly?
Beyond current politics, I find the interplay between role of migration as part of Kachin identity and the role of the Manau in asserting ties to specific locations especially interesting. I wonder if the author would expand more on that idea.
Leave a Comment
Please note: New Mandala encourages vigorous debate. However, for the moment we will only be publishing high-quality comments that make original contributions to discussion. There will, of course, still be space for pithy, humorous, eccentric and cheeky input. Short and sweet will usually trump long and involved. Repetitive ranting, unimaginative point-scoring and idle abuse will not be entertained. Comments which carry a real name are also more likely to be approved. Thank you for your ongoing interest and contributions.