This is a seriously dwindled group of rebels-formerly 5,000 strong-also known as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). The Kachins are animists and Christians of Tibeto-Burman descent who originally migrated from China. Found in northern Myanmar, they are funded in part through the mining of rich jade deposits in the area. The jade is then sold to China. At one time this group was the primary organizer of opium transportation to the Thai border. Although the KIA has been mostly KIAed (killed in action) since several recent SLORC blitzes against its strongholds in Kachin state, Putao remains off-limits to visitors, suggesting the mopping up isn't entirely completed.
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