Digital Democracy

Empowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies

China-Burma Border Research 2008

 Digital Democracy
Empowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Kachin on the China-Burma Border
Why We Went
In August 2008 Dd sent a research
team to the Chinese city of Ruili on
the Burmese/Myanmar border.
While a great deal of international
attention has been focused on
Beijingʼs material and diplomatic
support of the Burmese junta, there
is relatively little understanding of
the border region between the two
countries. This research was an
initial survey of the region and its
population, in particular the Kachin
ethnic group. We were particularly
interested in seeing what effect
extraordinary circumstances had on
the border, such as the Olympic
Games which were being held in
Beijing at the time of this research.
Specific goals of this research were:
1) To gain an understanding of the
population and movements of
Burmese ethnic minority peoples in
Northern Burma and on the China-
Burma border.
2) To assess the penetration of
information and communications
technologies (ICTs) in the region
and the availability and accessibility
of ICTs and ICT networks.
3) To assess the nature of civil
society organizations (CSOs) and
community based organizations
(CBOs) in the region with special
attention to youth participation and
technology usage.
Digital Democracy is a non-profit organization using digital technologies to empower civic engagement. We
work with local partners to develop tools that help community organizations promote human rights and build local
capacity. Emphasizing the need for new media literacy, we prepare youth and communities with the tools they
need to be informed and engaged citizens in the 21st century.
Regional Snapshot
!
Ruili is a small city on the Western edge of Chinaʼs Yunnan province. It
is the largest border crossing between China and Burma/Myanmar and
is a major conduit for trade between the two countries. Essentially all
consumer items from simple clothes and plastic furniture to complex
goods such as electronics and motorcycles flow from China into Burma.
This trade represents one of the few sources of such goods for those
living on the Burmese side. In the other direction go raw materials from
Northern Burmaʼs mines and forests: timber, gold, metal ores and,
perhaps most importantly, jade, extremely high-quality examples of
which are mined in Northern Burmaʼs Kachin State.
In addition to this legal commercial exchange, there is significant illegal
trafficking of drugs, particularly heroin, and people - often sold into sex
work - from Burma into China. This part of Yunnan borders the infamous
“Golden Triangle” of opium production with Northern Thailand and Laos
and Northeastern Burma. These activities have given Ruili a reputation
as a lawless border town where anything goes. For much of the last
two decades the governments of China, Thailand and Laos, with
support from the United Nations and other international organizations
have combated this trade with great
success though opium cultivation still
persists in Burma.1
Demographically Ruili and its environs
are ethnically diverse. It is situated in
the Dai and Jingpo Autonomous
Prefecture. “Dai” and “Jingpo” are the
Chinese names of ethnic minorities
known in Burma as the Shan and
Kachin, respectively. While an
estimated 91% of Chinaʼs overall
population is ethnically Han, in this
prefecture the Dai and Jingpo
comprise most of the population.2
These groups have lived in the
regions on both sides of the modern
Highlighted area: Burma/
border for centuries. Official business
Myanmar border with China
 
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Empowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies

is conducted in Mandarin but at least a dozen other local languages and dialects are also spoken.

The “autonomous” label in the prefectureʼs title should not be interpreted to mean true political autonomy.
There are many such “autonomous” ethnic administrative regions in China and they are all strictly subject
to the authority of the Communist Party. However, the designation does reflect and acknowledge the
traditional ethnic make up of these areas as distinct from the rest of the country.

On the Burma side of the border Ruili is the gateway to Kachin and Shan States. Both of these regions are
populated primarily by the ethnic nationalities of the same names
along with smaller ethnicities and sub-groups. Like many of
Burmaʼs other ethnic nationalities, the Kachin and Shan have “I think, to me, the China
been waging a long-standing armed independence struggle
against the ruling Burmese government and the Burman ethnic web is totally free.”
majority. In fact, these are two of the states where the strongest - Kachin male, 26
and most persistent resistance remains. In the past year the
Burmese military has led campaigns to try to bring these groups
into line.3

Kachin State itself is divided into territory controlled by the Burmese military and territory controlled by an
independent Kachin political body, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and its military wing, the
Kachin Independence Army (KIA). While technically able to move around the country, it is only within KIO-
held territories that Kachin people are free to organize and participate in politically or culturally sensitive
organizations or activities.

1 UN News Service, October 16, 2006, Opium cultivation in Asiaʼs Golden Triangle falls significantly, UN drug
agency reports
2 CIA (2009), CIA: World Factbook: China
3 Fuller, Thomas, The New York Times, August 28, 2009, Fleeing Battle Myanmar Refugees Head for China

What We Did
Community Interviews
Met with Kachin Community Based
Organizations for a community
needs analysis and a look at
technical capacity. Topics ranged
from life on the border,
connections to greater democracy
movement, contrast between
China and Burma/Myanmar,
technology access, access to
information, migrant labor,
language barriers, economics and
health. A particular focus was on
mobile phone access and network
“spillover” on the border.
Government slogan in Ruili: “Speak
Civilized, Act Civilized, Be Civilized.”
New Media Profiles
! Digital Democracy
conducted interviews with
community leaders. A digital
media training took place with
10 youth leaders from local
Kachin community based
organizations. Several cameras
were used as part of a new
media literacy training covering
various aspects of citizen
journalism, including storytelling
and strategies for transport,
display and dissemination of
work.
 Digital Democracy
Empowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies
Mainstreet in the Day
A strip of hotels and jade shops in Ruili
Night Market
Border Checkpoint
What We Learned
Regional Isolation
Physical Isolation - Geographically Kachin State itself is very isolated,
mountainous and remote. The Burmese military maintains physical control
over the main highway linking the Ruili border crossing to Mandalay, cutting
the Kachin off from the regionʼs most important roadway. Infrastructure and
communications networks inside Kachin State are extremely limited. The
roads connecting Kachin and Shan States are so poorly maintained that for
many people traveling between them it is actually easier to go indirectly by
crossing into China and taking advantage of the superior road networks
around Ruili.
Technological Isolation - Landline telephones are difficult and expensive to
obtain and therefore there are few telephone lines in Kachin state. Mobile
phones are much more common and the Kachin are quickly adapting to their
use, skipping over landline technology almost entirely. Mobiles, however,
have many limitations. Inside Burma, phones can be prohibitively expensive.
Virtually all Kachin who do have mobiles buy them in China and use one of
the three Chinese service providers: China Mobile, China Telecom or China
Unicom. However, interviewees said that using Chinese service providers
inside Burma is illegal and that service is only reliable near the border and
doesnʼt reach large swaths of Kachin State limiting its usefulness.
Continuing Consequences of Isolation - Some whom we interviewed
expressed the opinion that many young Kachin did not connect with the wider
democracy or independence movements around Burma. They attributed this
partially to Kachin Stateʼs isolation and inability to connect to ideas and
support from the outside world. They contrasted their situation with that of
ethnic minorities on the Thai border such as the Karen. They pointed out the
comparatively heavy presence of international organizations working in
Thailand on the border and the subsequent support in both money and
organizing that that presence affords.
Contextual Setbacks
Regional priorities – In addition to providing a flow of trade and access to
communication in the form of mobile phones and computers, China can
provide a physical space for Kachin CBOs to meet and strategize. The
monument pictured at right was located in a large public square in a small
town outside of Ruili near the Burma border checkpoint indicating the relative
freedom with which the Kachin and other minorities can move and express
themselves inside China. Chinese authoritiesʼ highest priorities in the Ruili
area are drug trafficking, HIV/AIDS containment and other health issues.
At times, both the local government and the provincial government in
Kunming have negotiated and collaborated directly with the Kachin
Independence Organization on these issues. Kachin groups often use these
issues as an alibi to convene meetings or trainings in China that may in fact
be on more politically sensitive topics.
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Empowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies

Internet Resources and Restrictions - Due to the lack of technology

infrastructure inside Kachin State and relatively extreme methods of
censorship throughout Burma very few Kachin have computer access. On
the China side of the border cybercafes are common throughout Ruili and
other towns and cities, are open to the public and broadband internet
access is widely available. Therefore most Kachin who are active online
do so from within China, not Burma. However, this access does not come
without restrictions. In addition to the widely known Chinese government
censorship of sensitive websites and keyword searches, throughout China
ID cards are required to use computers in cafes. Users leave their
information in a sign-in book at the front desk where they purchase time to Kachin Monument
use. At almost all cafes in other parts of China our passports were
sufficient ID though at one cafe in Ruili they were not accepted and our
Kachin interviewee had to use his ID to secure a computer for us to use.
Most cafe users access the internet for online games, chatting and e-mail.

Accessibility of Mobiles - Purchasing SIM cards for phones is simple.

Even as a foreigner one can simply enter an electronics store or an outlet
of any of the telecom providers to purchase one. Prices range from 50-60
RMB ($7-$9) depending on the how “lucky” the numbers for the SIM card
are. Top-ups can be purchased readily at news stands, kiosks and
convenience stores. Our SIM cards were purchased in Guangdong
province, in Southeastern China and occasionally merchants in other
provinces would claim that their top-ups could not be used on a SIM
purchased in another province. However, we found that questions about
where we purchased our SIM were asked very inconsistently and we used Sohu Block Page
top-ups from several provinces on our Guangdong SIM.

Risks of Operating - Though key for accessing ICTs, in other ways China
is not an ideal place for Kachin activists and organizations. Chinese
authorities are wary of political activism, particularly if it is seen as
separatist or democratic in nature. Activism planned in or originating from
within Chinaʼs borders would be considered threatening. Though Chinese
government officials have shown a willingness to engage with Kachin
political groups on certain issues of mutual concern, China is an ally of the
Burmese government and Burmese Military Intelligence has agents
stationed in the Ruili area. Most Kachin CBOs and CSOs do not have
offices in China. Some groups, such as a womenʼs organization that
also has offices in Thailand and India, maintain a small presence in the
Ruili area to monitor issues such as human trafficking but keep a low
profile and do not make their activities known publicly. Ultimately, KIO-
held areas of Kachin State are the only places in the region for such
groups to operate safely in the open. Transporting Vegetables

Border Issues - To cross the border into China, Burmese citizens must
obtain a border passbook which is stamped upon entry and exit by the
Chinese border control. The stamps are not visas and only allow the
bearer to remain in the country for 24 hours. The border passes are
sufficient for most purposes such as conducting simple business
transactions but for many other activities the restrictions quickly become Weekly Journal on Technology
 Digital Democracy
Empowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies

burdensome. The border is highly susceptible to closure. During the Beijing Olympics, extra checkpoints
were set up on the roads connecting Ruili to the border crossings and other towns in the area. From the
Kachin border town of Maijayang, interviewees reported that they had to pass as many as 5 checkpoints, not
including the Burmese and Chinese border controls, to reach Ruili. Many that tried to meet with us were
turned back, often not at the border itself but at checkpoints once inside China. Others were able to get
through, sometimes simply by trying again via a different route. No one was able to explain why the police
had become so strict or what the justification was for sending them back to Burma even after they had been
stamped through at the border. The only answer was, “because of the Olympics.” This revealed the
tentative nature of the access that people living on the Burmese side have to the resources available in
China.
Community Infrastructure
Lack of New Media Literacy - Most Kachin people do not have any exposure or access to computers.
Internet access is extremely rare. Sites for uploading or sending photographs, video or other multimedia are
therefore very rare inside Kachin State. As with mobiles, almost all computers and computer equipment are
purchased or accessed in China. Predictably, many Kachin have little or no computer literacy.

Important Role Played by CBOs - In Kachin State there are many CBOs and most young people are
members of at least one. Many Kachin – interviewees reported virtually all – are Christian and church
attendance is generally high. Consequently, many groups and organizations emerge from the religious
community and are focused on social issues as opposed to political ones. Major concerns in Kachin State
are drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and unemployment. Because of Burmaʼs political situation there are
essentially no avenues for Kachin people to engage in politics at the national level. Therefore young people
who do become involved in politics can only participate on the local level and only within KIO-held territory.

What We Recommend
The lack of access to ICTs is a major limitation on Kachin groups and communities. All types of Kachin
community organizations - and the populations they serve - would benefit from a capacity to communicate
reliably, consistently and securely with people and groups both inside and outside Kachin State. From
political organizations and community health centers to businesses looking for employees and the
unemployed looking for work.
1. Trainings - There is a great demand for trainings such as those we provided during our research and
other new media literacy trainings. Along with using technology there is especially a need for training and
information on security.
2. Equipment and Material Support - Whether it be in the
form of books, equipment or funding would there are many Made Possible By
schools and CBOs interested in modern education without Thank you to individual donors, our
much access to the necessary tools. supporters, our Advisory Board and our
heroic local partners.
3. Localization of tools & educational materials - Given
the variety of languages and the specific political situation,
the Ruili area is an ideal place for open source software. Tools need to be translatable and interoperable
to make an impact across social strata and ethnic divisions to avoid empowering certain groups over
others and causing resentment.
Digital Democracy
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