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Text Box: An introduction Kachin State is a dark green temple of closed forests, full of precious natural resources; notably jade and gold. The subject of many poems and songs, its beauties are far beyond those expressions. It is said that the forests of Burma are among the most resourceful in the world; inside Burma, the forests of our Kachinland are the richest of all. Since the days of our forefathers many have given their lives, talents; all they had, to protect this resourceful land. Kachins lived without greed, earning their livelihood and producing sufficient food using traditional methods of agricultural cultivation. Every year they grew crops for an annual harvest, and after each year they moved to another field (taungya) to plant new crops, returning once in ten years to each field. In forty years of civil war, many of our Kachin people; men, women, and children, were only able to survive in the midst of war because of the forest. All Kachin know in themselves that the forest is the mother which offers shelter and food for the Kachin people. It has long been the safe operating area and home of the Kachin liberation fighters of the KIO and the NDA-K. Because the Burmese enemy was not familiar with the Kachin forest, the Kachin defenders could for a long time compete with the Burmese troops, despite the Kachin resistance forces having less weapons and smaller numbers. The Kachin practice traditional medicine using resources from the forests and mountains of Kachinland. There are many different herbs with medicinal value in the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, berries, nuts, roots and fruits in the plants. Bird nests and other animal products, even some animal droppings, are used as medicine. The forest is the medicine store of the Kachin. Traditional Kachin herbal medicine can cure diseases and injuries as severe as broken bones and deadly wounds often better than modern medicine. Presently, this rich source of herbal medicine is in great danger of being wiped out, as some of the most useful species are becoming very difficult to find. Some of the best herbal medicine plants which are a world heritage can only be found in the very deep forest areas. Kachin life is heavily dependant on the forest. Some people are taking advantage of the forests to get rich through the logging, mining and smuggling of natural resources like rattan cane, jade and wildlife products. Jade and gold mining, logging, overhun-ting and road building are especially threatening the Kachin heritage. Many Kachin are left wandering and rootless, having lost their livelihood resources along with the forests that have been destroyed before their eyes. The forest, rivers and land where our

Text Box: Chapter 3 KACHIN STATE by PKDS

An interview with a local in Laiza

“There were many kinds of wild animals. Tigers, antelopes, deers, bears, fowls, birds, monkeys, and more were abundant around here. Now they have gone. People are setting the forest on fire in the summer. Because of the fires the wild animals cannot stay in the forest and insects die. Medicinal shrubs are also wiped out.“

“People say the logging business is for the development of the country. We can see no other development than the increasing number of good houses built for officers. People are still in the same situation as before. Deforestation is done by the people in authority. When we talk about deforestation and reforestation to them, they tell us to bring dollars. The KIO is planting trees, but only teak to be cut in the future.

Real reforestation means to grow a variety of trees that were wiped out. Religious leaders are preaching this in the churches. They should preach more about this. Everyone should grow at least one tree and look after it. Environmental conservation should be taught in the schools. Only then will the new generation know how to conserve the forest and have a healthy environment.

Hpung Ki Company is the biggest company from China engaged in the logging. At first it was supposed to build a hydropower electricity plant at Mali Hka. After eight years of extraction there is still no sign of the plant.

People cannot do logging business. All permits are issued to officers only.”