Kokang
Encyclopedia
Kokang formally the First Special Region, is a self-administrative region of Burma (also known as Myanmar). It is located in the northern part of Shan State
, with the Salween River
to its west, and it shares a border with China
's Yunnan Province
in the east. Its total land area is around 10000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi). The capital is Laukkai
. Kokang is mostly populated by Kokang people
, a Han Chinese
group living in Burma. According to new Myanmar Constitution (2008), Kongyan Township and Laukkai Township aka Laukkaing Township
are grouped together to form Kokang self-Administered Zone and replace the 'First Special Region'.
Historically, Kokang was Burma's feudal state for Burmese Chinese. It was founded by the Yang clan
, a Chinese military house that fled with the Ming loyalists
from Nanjing
to Yunnan Province in the mid-17th century and later migrated to the Shan State in eastern Burma. From the 1960s to 1989, the area was ruled by the Communist Party of Burma
, and after the dissolution of that party in 1989 it became a special region of Burma.
He expanded his territory tenfold compared to that inherited from his predecessor. After his death in 1795, his son Yang You Gen (杨有根, Yáng Yǒugēn) became the chief. He soon renamed the state as Kokang and titled himself Heng of Kokang.
In 1840, Yang Guohua (楊國華) was given the title "the Heriditable Magistrate of Guogan County (世襲果敢縣令)" by the Chinese Qing
dynasty.
The Heng was succeeded after his death in 1874 by his younger brother Yang Guozheng (杨国正), who ruled peacefully and began relations with Britain
upon the annexation
of Upper Burma
. In 1916 he went blind, and abdicated in favour of his nephew Yang Chunrong (杨春荣, Yáng Chūnróng). The new ruler then took the Burmese
title "Myosa" (lit. town eat, given to a prince). He died in 1927 and was succeeded by his son Colonel Sao Yang Wen Ping (杨文炳, Yáng Wénbǐng), Saopha of Kokang.
For the services of Kokang during World War II
, it was recognised as separate from Shan State
in August 1947 by the British, and the ruler took the title Saopha
. He died in 1949 and was succeeded by his son Sao Edward Yang Kyein Tsai
(杨振材, Yáng Zhèncái) who was deposed by the Burmese in 1959. Before that it is part Hsenwi Saopha
territory.
After the collapse of the Communist Party of Burma
in 1989, Kokang was assigned as the autonomous First Special Region of the northern Shan State of Burma.
In 2003, a comprehensive ban on the cultivation of the opium poppy
came into effect. Due to the attendant food shortage, among other things, 2003 also saw a large-scale outbreak of malaria
in mountain villages with authorities reporting some 279 deaths. During this time the Chinese government sent mobile medical units and supplies to the region, with the United Nations
World Food Program also sending disaster relief soon after.
In April 2005, the Japanese government
(JICA: Japan International Cooperation Agency
) launched a new project to rebuild the lives of farmers in these mountain areas.
In August 2009, Kokang was the site of a violent conflict, the Kokang incident
, between junta forces and various ethnic armies.
, with others being Shan, Palaung, Hmong
, Va
, Lisaw, Naman
and Burman
. The large majority of ethnic Burmans are those dispatched to the region by the central government as military and administrative personnel and their families, primary school teachers, skilled workers, medical workers and other public service personnel. Because of the effective disappearance of the narcotics trade
, many have lost their source of income and many Chinese have left the region.
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
, with the Salween River
Salween River
The Salween is a river, about long, that flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia. It drains a narrow and mountainous watershed of that extends into the countries China, Burma and Thailand. Steep canyon walls line the swift, powerful and undammed Salween, one of the...
to its west, and it shares a border with China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
's Yunnan Province
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
in the east. Its total land area is around 10000 square kilometres (3,861 sq mi). The capital is Laukkai
Laukkai
Laukkai is the capital of Kokang in the northern part of Shan State, Burma. It is situated on the Salween River, which forms Burma's border with the People's Republic of China. It is about 10 miles away from Nansan , China...
. Kokang is mostly populated by Kokang people
Kokang people
The Kokang people are an ethnic group of Burma . They are Mandarin-speaking Han Chinese living in Kokang Special Region. In 1997, it was estimated that the Kokang people, together with more recently-immigrated Yunnanese, constituted 30–40 percent of Burma's ethnic Chinese population.The...
, a Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
group living in Burma. According to new Myanmar Constitution (2008), Kongyan Township and Laukkai Township aka Laukkaing Township
Laukkaing Township
Laukkaing Township is a township of Laukkaing District in the Shan State of Burma. The principal town is Laukkai aka Laukkaing.The township is sharing border with Kongyan Township and People's Republic of China in the north, People's Republic of China in the east, Kunlong Township in the south and...
are grouped together to form Kokang self-Administered Zone and replace the 'First Special Region'.
Historically, Kokang was Burma's feudal state for Burmese Chinese. It was founded by the Yang clan
Yang (surname)
Yang is the transcription of the Chinese family name 楊 / 杨. It is the sixth most common surname in Mainland China.- Characters :Yang is most often the transliteration of the character 楊 . The same character can also mean a type of poplar...
, a Chinese military house that fled with the Ming loyalists
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
from Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
to Yunnan Province in the mid-17th century and later migrated to the Shan State in eastern Burma. From the 1960s to 1989, the area was ruled by the Communist Party of Burma
Communist Party of Burma
The Communist Party of Burma is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China...
, and after the dissolution of that party in 1989 it became a special region of Burma.
History
The state was officially founded by Yang Shien-tsai (杨献才, Yáng Xiàncái); who began his reign in 1739 in and around Ta Shwe Htan, then called Xingdahu (兴达户, Xīng Dáhù), and took the title "Chief of Xingdahu". He was succeeded on his death in 1758 by his son Yang Weixing (杨维兴), later referred to as Chief of Kho Kan Shan (科干山, Kēgàn Shān).He expanded his territory tenfold compared to that inherited from his predecessor. After his death in 1795, his son Yang You Gen (杨有根, Yáng Yǒugēn) became the chief. He soon renamed the state as Kokang and titled himself Heng of Kokang.
In 1840, Yang Guohua (楊國華) was given the title "the Heriditable Magistrate of Guogan County (世襲果敢縣令)" by the Chinese Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
dynasty.
The Heng was succeeded after his death in 1874 by his younger brother Yang Guozheng (杨国正), who ruled peacefully and began relations with Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
upon the annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of Upper Burma
Upper Burma
Upper Burma refers to a geographic region of Burma , traditionally encompassing Mandalay and its periphery , or more broadly speaking, Kachin and Shan States....
. In 1916 he went blind, and abdicated in favour of his nephew Yang Chunrong (杨春荣, Yáng Chūnróng). The new ruler then took the Burmese
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
title "Myosa" (lit. town eat, given to a prince). He died in 1927 and was succeeded by his son Colonel Sao Yang Wen Ping (杨文炳, Yáng Wénbǐng), Saopha of Kokang.
For the services of Kokang during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was recognised as separate from Shan State
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
in August 1947 by the British, and the ruler took the title Saopha
Saopha
Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar . The word means "king" in the Shan and Tai languages...
. He died in 1949 and was succeeded by his son Sao Edward Yang Kyein Tsai
Sao Edward Yang Kyein Tsai
Sao Edward Yang Kyein Tsai , Saopha of Kokang was the traditional ruler of the Burmese state of Kokang from 1949, at the death of his father, saopha Sao Yang Wen Pin, until he abdicated in 1959.-External links:*...
(杨振材, Yáng Zhèncái) who was deposed by the Burmese in 1959. Before that it is part Hsenwi Saopha
Saopha
Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar . The word means "king" in the Shan and Tai languages...
territory.
After the collapse of the Communist Party of Burma
Communist Party of Burma
The Communist Party of Burma is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China...
in 1989, Kokang was assigned as the autonomous First Special Region of the northern Shan State of Burma.
In 2003, a comprehensive ban on the cultivation of the opium poppy
Opium poppy
Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. Opium is the source of many opiates, including morphine , thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine...
came into effect. Due to the attendant food shortage, among other things, 2003 also saw a large-scale outbreak of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in mountain villages with authorities reporting some 279 deaths. During this time the Chinese government sent mobile medical units and supplies to the region, with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
World Food Program also sending disaster relief soon after.
In April 2005, the Japanese government
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(JICA: Japan International Cooperation Agency
Japan International Cooperation Agency
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is an independent governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance for the government of Japan...
) launched a new project to rebuild the lives of farmers in these mountain areas.
In August 2009, Kokang was the site of a violent conflict, the Kokang incident
Kokang incident
The Kokang incident was a violent conflict or series of skirmishes that broke out in August 2009 in the Kokang Special Region in Burma's northern Shan State...
, between junta forces and various ethnic armies.
Demographics
In 2000, the population was reported to be around 18,000. In 2003, it was reported to be approximately 140,000; in 2009, 150,000. Of these, around 100,000 are Burmese, the remainder being Chinese. Of the Burmese, 90% are ethnic Han ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, with others being Shan, Palaung, Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
, Va
Va people
The Va nationality lives mainly in Northern Burma, in the northern part of Shan and eastern Kachin States, near and along the border with China. Their defacto capital is Pangkham in the unofficial Wa State in North Eastern Shan state. The majority of the Va live in Burma...
, Lisaw, Naman
Bai
The Bai or Baip are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They numbered 1,858,063 as of 2000....
and Burman
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
. The large majority of ethnic Burmans are those dispatched to the region by the central government as military and administrative personnel and their families, primary school teachers, skilled workers, medical workers and other public service personnel. Because of the effective disappearance of the narcotics trade
Drug trade
Drug trade may refer to:* Illegal drug trade, the manufacture and sale of illicit psychoactive substances* Pharmaceutical industry, the manufacture and sale of medical treatment chemicals...
, many have lost their source of income and many Chinese have left the region.