Members of the ethnic Kachin diaspora gathered at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on June 9 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the resumption of civil war in Myanmar’s northern Kachin State, launching a unified call for urgent humanitarian aid and increased international protection for displaced civilians.
The event, titled the “15th Anniversary of the Resumed War in the Kachin Region Commemoration,” took place on June 9—exactly 15 years after a long-standing ceasefire between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Myanmar military collapsed in 2011. The crisis has severely worsened following the February 2021 military coup.
A space for solidarity and survival
Organized to foster community unity and raise awareness of the ongoing conflict, the commemoration featured a blend of somber reflection and mutual aid. The university grounds hosted community prayers, panel discussions, local food stalls, and commemorative merchandise sales designed to raise emergency funds.
“We want to create a space within our community to discuss the ongoing conflict in the Kachin region, while also conducting a fundraising campaign to support the internally displaced persons fleeing the war,” said San Htoi, a spokesperson for the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT).
Central to the gathering was an intimate art exhibition displaying photographs, local artwork, and personal belongings that told the stories of those trapped in conflict zones. Organizers confirmed to DVB that 100 percent of the proceeds from the event would be funneled directly back across the border into civilian relief networks.
“Massive military offensives are continuing across various parts of the Kachin region, and the civilian population is facing immense hardships and is in desperate need of extensive support,” San Htoi emphasized. “Every single fund we receive will be entirely allocated to support those who truly need it, the people suffering amidst the war.”
Civil society condemns military tactics
The grim reality of the conflict was punctuated by a powerful joint statement issued during the event by 129 allied civil society organizations (CSOs).
The coalition revealed that they have documented the displacement of over 244,500 civilians in Kachin State since the 2021 military coup. The statement explicitly accused the Myanmar military of systematic atrocities and siege warfare tactics targeting civilian infrastructure, including:
- Indiscriminate airstrikes and heavy artillery bombardments on residential areas.
- Forced conscription drives to weaponize the youth against their own communities.
- Total internet shutdowns aimed at choking out local communication lines.
- Severe blockades cutting off vital food, medicine, and commercial supply lines into Kachin State.
The CSOs collectively urged international governing bodies and donors to immediately bypass military channels to boost financial aid. They stressed the critical importance of ensuring that humanitarian packages securely reach territories currently administered and secured by the KIA.
Targeting the Myitsone dam project
Beyond immediate battlefield relief, the joint statement leveled a sharp diplomatic demand at both Naypyidaw and Beijing, calling for the permanent suspension of the controversial, revived Myitsone Dam project.
The multi-billion-dollar, China-backed mega-hydropower project—situated along the Mali and N’Mai rivers at the confluence of Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River—has long been a flashpoint of public outrage.
Opponents argue the dam threatens severe ecological destruction, would submerge cultural heartlands, and displaces thousands of indigenous people while primarily exporting electricity out of Myanmar.
Despite the heavy compounding pressures of displacement, foreign intervention, and relentless military pressure, organizers closed the commemoration by reaffirming that the Kachin community remains deeply resilient and universally hopeful for a future of genuine peace and federal democracy in Myanmar.
