• Burmese
Friday, July 18, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
28 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

China Complicit in Blocking Aid to Kachin Refugees: Report

Nan Lwin by Nan Lwin
September 4, 2018
in Burma
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0 0
A A
Nearly 2,000 IDPs arrived at Shait Yang Village in Laiza District, an area controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in January 2017. These IDPs moved from the Zai Awng and Hkau Shau camps in Waingmaw Township. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

Nearly 2,000 IDPs arrived at Shait Yang Village in Laiza District, an area controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in January 2017. These IDPs moved from the Zai Awng and Hkau Shau camps in Waingmaw Township. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

5.1k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

YANGON — A rights group’s report has claimed Chinese involvement in the Myanmar government’s blocking of humanitarian assistance to war refugees on the Myanmar-China border where government troops and Kachin armed groups have been fighting.

“China made their position particularly explicit that humanitarian aid organizations should not be provided access to displaced populations on the Myanmar-China border, equating these organizations with ‘western’ powers—namely the United States government,” a recent Fortify Rights report said.

The report said that since the previous government organized peace-talks between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed groups, Chinese representatives in the meetings reportedly insisted that aid organizations not operate on the border areas in Kachin State.

RelatedPosts

Myanmar Crisis Spells Opportunity for U.S.-India Cooperation

Myanmar Crisis Spells Opportunity for U.S.-India Cooperation

July 18, 2025
151
Behind the Scenes: China’s Hand in Myanmar’s Election

Behind the Scenes: China’s Hand in Myanmar’s Election

July 16, 2025
1.6k
‘Las Vegas in Laos’: the Riverside City Awash With Crime

‘Las Vegas in Laos’: the Riverside City Awash With Crime

July 14, 2025
1k

A new report “They Block Everything” based on 195 interviews in Kachin state over the last five years [2013-2018], revealed how Myanmar authorities—particularly the military—have weaponized the denial of humanitarian aid in Kachin State for years. It claims China plays a role in helping Myanmar authorities to put aid restrictions on Kachin refugees.

Since 2011, when armed conflict between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) resumed, the Myanmar government and military restricted access for humanitarian organizations to refugees in Kachin State especially access to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in KIA-controlled areas. An estimated 120,000 people have been displaced from their homes since 2011 due to the armed conflict in Kachin State.

There are 140 IDP camps in Kachin State and 40 percent of displaced people are living in areas controlled by the KIA and related groups.

According to the report, from June 2017 to June 2018, the government of Myanmar approved approximately five percent of 562 applications for travel authorization to government-controlled areas by international humanitarian organizations.

Since 2015, some aid workers have reported government-imposed restrictions on particular types of aid, including medical supplies. As a result of the restrictions, local humanitarian aid workers rely on suppliers in China to obtain aid for the estimated 40,000 IDPs residing on the Myanmar-China border, the report said.

The report also says all activities in China relating to the IDPs are unofficial, while transporting aid over the China border presents a high risk of being arrested by the Chinese authorities. Mostly, aid workers have to avoid checkpoints, as China has increased patrols and checks for transporting humanitarian aid to the Kachin refugees. Chinese suppliers also face risk, particularly when authorities perform surprise checks of their offices.

Mary Tawn, a director of local relief agency Wunpawng Ninghtoi (WPN) based at the China-Myanmar border told Irrawaddy, “China has seriously cautioned Kachin refugees against crossing their border. They put more restrictions on us; now we can’t even legally carry soap to the IDP camps.”

As patrols increase near the border, we have to make meeting points where we can receive IDP supplies. We can’t carry any aid supplies legally. They don’t understand that we are aid workers for refugees, she said.

“We try not to take risks in some conditions. Sometimes we have to negotiate with Chinese suppliers to send supplies [like medical aid and hygiene supplies] on their own to us,” she added.

According to the report, Chinese soldiers have also forcibly returned Kachin refugees back to Myanmar since the war in Kachin State resumed in June 2011. In 2013 Chinese soldiers burned down a Kachin refugee camp called Layin in Yunnan Province.

The report said China has failed to provide protection to Kachin refugees who seek protection, food, medicine and healthcare in Yunnan Province, and Chinese border guards have committed human rights violations against Kachin refugees by forcing them back into conflict zones in Kachin State.

In 2012, China only gave three days for some 30,000 Kachin refugees to move back across the border into Kachin and Shan states, Mary Tawn said.

In December 2017, China blocked Kachin refugees who suddenly fled from intense fighting near their IDP camps from crossing the border, she said.

“Stray ammunition frequently dropped in the camps. It was an urgent need to move all the people during the fighting. After the fighting ended, they intended definitely to go back to the camps. But China didn’t allow the IDPs to stay on their side even for a short time. IDPs did not dare to go back to the camps and so old people, women and children had to sit near the river [at the border] that night,” she added.

The relief agency said, according to the Chinese government’s policy, they are not allowed to accept Kachin refugees who flee from random fighting.

“They said when fighting happens in the [border] cities, and all the people no longer can stay… they will accept us all together,” Mary Tawn said.

U Hka Li, a spokesperson for Kachin Baptist Convention, one of the largest humanitarian aid providers in Kachin State, also confirmed to The Irrawaddy that IDPs in KIA-controlled locations suffer food shortages frequently as aid supplies are not allowed to pass through China territory.

U Hka Li said, “We have to find some other ways to buy rice for the IDPs since we can’t transport it legally through China.”

Kachin refugees in China face exploitative treatment by employers, difficult working conditions and also forced labor by Chinese soldiers while fleeing from armed conflicts, the report said.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in February, Myanmar authorities restricted humanitarian access to Tanai Township where an estimated 900 people were living in four churches. The authorities also restricted humanitarian access to the Ndup Yang IDP camp in Sumprabum Township in Kachin State.

U Hka Li said that Sumprabum and Tanai camps are under restricted access since two months ago. Aid workers are still not allowed to transport supplies there, especially food.

In April and May 2018, a consortium of 19 humanitarian aid organizations called on the Myanmar authorities and military to guarantee civilians safe passage out of conflict areas, and lift restrictions on humanitarian assistance in Kachin state.

The Irrawaddy requested an interview and sent questions to the Chinese embassy in Myanmar for a response regarding China’s involvement in blocking humanitarian assistance for Kachin refugees but the communication officer did not respond.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: ChinaIDPs
Nan Lwin

Nan Lwin

The Irrawaddy

Similar Picks:

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang
Burma

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang

by Hein Htoo Zan
November 28, 2023
98.5k

Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army troops are opening roads and pathways through forests for people to flee Kokang’s capital as...

Read moreDetails
Drone Attack at Myanmar-China Border Gate Causes Over $14m in Losses
Business

Drone Attack at Myanmar-China Border Gate Causes Over $14m in Losses

by The Irrawaddy
November 27, 2023
38.6k

Jin San Jiao is latest northern Shan State trade hub in crosshairs of ethnic Brotherhood Alliance.

Read moreDetails
Brotherhood Alliance Marching Towards Capital of Myanmar’s Kokang Region
Burma

Brotherhood Alliance Marching Towards Capital of Myanmar’s Kokang Region

by The Irrawaddy
November 25, 2023
31k

Chinese embassy urges citizens to flee Laukkai Town as ethnic armies prepare to drive Myanmar junta troops from Kokang’s capital.

Read moreDetails
Junta Battalion Controlling Myanmar-China Trade Route Surrenders to KIA 
Burma

Junta Battalion Controlling Myanmar-China Trade Route Surrenders to KIA 

by Saw Reh
January 26, 2024
22.6k

Kachin Independence Army seizes another base in northern Shan State, cutting off regime troops in the border trade town of...

Read moreDetails
Has China Lost Control of Ethnic Armies in Myanmar’s War-Torn Borderland?
Guest Column

Has China Lost Control of Ethnic Armies in Myanmar’s War-Torn Borderland?

by Bertil Lintner
November 6, 2023
21.4k

The Brotherhood Alliance’s offensive against the junta in northern Shan has shut down trade and resource access, but Beijing still...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Regime Raises the White Flag in Kokang Zone on China Border in Shan State
War Against the Junta

Myanmar Regime Raises the White Flag in Kokang Zone on China Border in Shan State

by The Irrawaddy
January 5, 2024
20.5k

Surrender of headquarters in Laukkai town brings the Brotherhood Alliance another step closer to its goal of ridding northern Shan...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Unknown Rope ၊ Marriage Knot by artist Ye Min.

Veteran Artists Team Up with Younger Generation at ‘Wild Eye’ Exhibition

Demonstrators marched in Loikaw against the Karenni State government’s plan to erect a Gen Aung San statue on July 3, 2018. / Khun Ar Than

Karenni Govt Orders CSOs to Provide 2 Weeks’ Notice of Meetings

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

3 days ago
1.4k
Myanmar Junta’s Recapture of Nawnghkio Shows Strategic Missteps by TNLA

Myanmar Junta’s Recapture of Nawnghkio Shows Strategic Missteps by TNLA

1 day ago
1.3k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta’s Power Transfer Looms, but Real Control to Remain With Regime Boss

    Myanmar Junta’s Power Transfer Looms, but Real Control to Remain With Regime Boss

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta’s Recapture of Nawnghkio Shows Strategic Missteps by TNLA

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Karen Fighters Push for Myanmar Junta Outpost on Thai Border

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Belarus Universities Teach Myanmar Junta How to Kill: JFM

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.