Damphet, Myanmar - 2/20/2014
A fisherman sails on the Irrawaddy river, at the site of the proposed Chinese-backed Myitsone Dam project in Kachin state, Myanmar. Experts have estimated the hydropower generated by the dam would generate more energy than the entire country produces now, but 90% of that energy would go back over the border to China. The Kachin people view the dam as a direct threat to their people and their livelihood.
Myitkyina, Myanmar - 2/19/2014
The Irrawaddy river as it flows through the Kachin State, seen from above. The river is often referred to as the lifeblood of Myanmar. Environmentalists warn the Myitsone Dam would flood an area the size of Singapore. They say it would impact the lives of millions of people downstream, who depend on the river for their livelihoods.
Maina KBC, Myanmar - 2/21/2014
Internally displaced women walk through an alley in Maina KBC, a makeshift camp for the displaced, close to the Chinese border. After Myanmar gained independence from the British in 1948, the Kachin people were promised equality and self-determination. When the military seized control of the area in 1962, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) was formed to defend the recourse-rich Kachin land. In 2011, fighting resumed after a 17-year ceasefire between the group and the military.
Maina KBC, Myanmar - 2/21/2014
Young boys playing near Maina KBC camp. An estimated 100,000 Kachin have been displaced by the fighting over a period of three years. Human rights abuses have been reported on both sides. The Burma Army has been accused of systematically targeting civilians, charging upon villages with mortar and heavy weapon attacks. Many families have become stranded in the jungles of conflict zones.
Bhamo, Myanmar - 2/22/2014
A UNICEF poster along the road in Kachin state. According to UNICEF, the Tatmadaw as well as the KIA are ‘persistent perpetrators’ in the recruitment and use of children for war in Myanmar. According to UNHCR, Thousands of children, possibly tens of thousands, remained in the Myanmar armed forces and forced recruitment continued to be reported.
Bhamo, Myanmar - 2/22/2014
A farmer herds her cows on the outskirts of the Irrawaddy river in Bhamo. The plans to build the Myitsone Dam have forced many Kachin to abandon their farmlands and move to resettlement villages built by the company building the dam: Beijing’s State Power Investment Corporation. As their livelihoods used to be supported by the river, many Kachin now struggle to make a living without it.
Myitkyina, Myanmar - 2/22/2014
A Buddhist Monk is given priority while boarding an airplane on the airport of Myitkyina. While Myanmar’s population is predominantly Buddhist, Buddhist Monks are widely respected and honored. The Kachin population is predominantly Christian. With approximately 1.6 million people, they are one of the larger ethnic minority Groups in Myanmar. Experts say the conflict in the region is also tied to these ethnic differences.
Maina KBC, Myanmar - 2/21/2014
A woman hoists water from a well in the Maina KBC camp, which is managed by UNHCR and the Kachin Baptist Convention. Almost 2000 people live in the camp, from 419 households.
Irrawaddi River, Bhamo, Myanmar - 2/23/2014
Loggers transport the tree logs they harvested in Kachin State by towing them like a raft downstream the Irrawaddy river. Critics attribute the continued conflict in Kachin State to the resource-richness of the area. Other than the hydropower produced by the Myitsone Dam, opportunities in logging and jade-mining make the region a lucrative target for the foreign and domestic powers.
Bhamo, Myanmar - 22/2/2014
A house in Bhamo shows support signs for Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy. When she was in the opposition, Aung San Suu Kyi spoke out about the war and the Myitsone Dam project. After becoming the de facto leader of the country in 2015, she has changed her view on the dam. Experts say that although there is widespread opposition to the dam, China is an important investor in the Myanmar economy. It also plays a key role in peace talks with the KIA and other armed groups along the border.
Myitkyina, Myanmar - 2/20/2014
A man walks on the train tracks in Myitkyina, an area known for its high percentage of heroin users. Community leaders say they are dealing with a major heroin epidemic. The drug is widely available in the region for four to five dollars a hit. Pat Jasan, a regional anti-drug organization, says the national government is not responding appropriately and calls the drug epidemic a “slow genocide”.
Maina KBC, Myanmar - 2/21/2014
Children playing in the gutter at the Maina KBC camp. Most people in the Myitsone Dam region have fled their villages. Many went to China, others moved to Myitkyina or found shelter in camps like Maina KBC.
Bagan, Myanmar - 6/3/2014
A fisherman on the Irrawadi river, downstream at Bagan. If the Myitsone Dam is completed, experts warn that changing tides of the river would endanger the livelihoods of millions of fishermen downstream. Construction work has been paused, but China is lobbying hard for the work on the dam to continue. Meanwhile the ethnic Kachin people fight for their land and autonomy over the region.