Namhkam (Shan State)
Encyclopedia
Namhkam also spelt Namkham, is the principal town
of Nanhkan Township
in northern Shan State
, Burma, situated on the southern bank of Shweli River
near the border with Yunnan Province, China
.
built a road in 1894-1897 between this frontier town and Bhamo
by the Ayeyarwady River
in Kachin State
, a distance of 56 miles, for Chinese
mule
teers in order to benefit from the border trade
. The town was rented to the British in 1897 by Qing Dynasty
. The area became formally part of Burma in 1960 when China and Burma signed a border treaty, swapping some border land.
During the Second World War the Allies
built the Ledo Road
from Ledo
in Assam
, India
to Kunming
, China
across northern Burma, and by the end of 1944, completed 439 miles to Namhkam, linking up with the old Burma Road
at Bhamo. Dr Gordon Seagrave
of the Burma Surgeon fame ran the US missionary
hospital
overlooking Namhkam. He was believed to have had intelligence
duties as well as medical. He wrote some articles on his experience in NamHkam.
in the area in British times
had caused considerable deforestation
noted in 1920 east of a line from Lashio
to Namhkam. A 2005 survey carried out by the Shan State Peace Council
recorded 1,800 drug addicts in Namhkam alone, and community
-run rehabilitation
centers were set up to tackle the rising problem of addiction. The first of these started in 1998 were declared illegal and forced to close in 2000 by the authorities
.Buddhist monks and teachers
are also involved in the amelioration of the HIV/AIDS problem among drug users
.
Hsinshweli high yield hybrid rice
cultivation has been promoted in recent years by the authorities in the region.
is under construction on the Shweli River
near Namhkam aiming to supply electricity to Kyaukme
, Hsipaw
, Lashio
and Namtu
. The project known as Shweli 1 will supply 600 MW when completed.
border to fill the vacuum left by the 1989 cease-fire agreement between their counterparts in the north and the Burmese military was thwarted.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Nanhkan Township
Nanhkan Township
Nanhkan Township aka NamHkam Township is a township of Mu Se District in the Shan State of eastern Burma. The principal town is Namhkam. It is not a big city. Nice place to live. Just a few miles away from Mu Se.Shan and Kachin are majority in that area...
in northern 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...
, Burma, situated on the southern bank of Shweli River
Shweli River
Shweli River is a river in Myanmar . Also known as Nam Mao in Shan and Lung Chuan Chiang in Chinese, it forms part of the boundary between Burma and China. It is one of the tributaries of the country's chief river, the Ayeyarwady, and arises in Yunnan Province of China...
near the border with Yunnan Province, 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...
.
History
The region belonged to China but the British colonial administrationBritish rule in Burma
British rule in Burma lasted from 1824 to 1948, from the Anglo-Burmese Wars through the creation of Burma as a province of British India to the establishment of an independently administered colony, and finally independence...
built a road in 1894-1897 between this frontier town and Bhamo
Bhamo
Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China. The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in...
by the Ayeyarwady River
Ayeyarwady River
The Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south through Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through...
in Kachin State
Kachin State
Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the...
, a distance of 56 miles, for Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
teers in order to benefit from the border trade
Border trade
Border trade, in general, refers to the flow of goods and services across theinternational borders between jurisdictions. In this sense, it is a part of normal legal tradethat flows through standard export/import frameworks of nations...
. The town was rented to the British in 1897 by Qing Dynasty
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....
. The area became formally part of Burma in 1960 when China and Burma signed a border treaty, swapping some border land.
During the Second World War the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
built the Ledo Road
Ledo Road
The Ledo Road was built during World War II so that the Western Allies could supply the Chinese as an alternative to the Burma Road which had been cut by the Japanese in 1942. It was renamed the Stilwell Road in early 1945 at the suggestion of Chiang Kai-shek...
from Ledo
Ledo
Ledo may refer to:* Ledo, Assam, India* Ledo, Goa, India* Ledo Road* Ledo Degtinė* Ledo , a Croatian ice cream producer...
in Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, 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...
across northern Burma, and by the end of 1944, completed 439 miles to Namhkam, linking up with the old Burma Road
Burma Road
The Burma Road is a road linking Burma with the southwest of China. Its terminals are Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. When it was built, Burma was a British colony.The road is long and runs through rough mountain country...
at Bhamo. Dr Gordon Seagrave
Gordon Seagrave
Gordon Stifler Seagrave born 18 Mar 1897 in Yangon, Myanmar; he died March 1965 in Redlands, CA. His parents were American Baptist missionaries Rev. Albert Ernest Seagrave and Alice Vinton. Seagrave followed their path and became a missionary and medical doctor in Burma. He was sometimes referred...
of the Burma Surgeon fame ran the US missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
overlooking Namhkam. He was believed to have had intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
duties as well as medical. He wrote some articles on his experience in NamHkam.
Agriculture
Cultivation of the opium poppyOpium 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...
in the area in British times
British rule in Burma
British rule in Burma lasted from 1824 to 1948, from the Anglo-Burmese Wars through the creation of Burma as a province of British India to the establishment of an independently administered colony, and finally independence...
had caused considerable deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
noted in 1920 east of a line from Lashio
Lashio
Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about northeast of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Nam Yao river. The population grew from around 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It is currently estimated at around 130,000.Lashio is the...
to Namhkam. A 2005 survey carried out by the Shan State Peace Council
Shan State Army
The Shan State Army, or SSA, was an army formed in 1964 to resist the military government of Burma in Shan State.It later split into two factions, usually known in English as the Shan State Army - South or SSA-S, which continues to oppose the government, and the Shan State Army - North or SSA-N,...
recorded 1,800 drug addicts in Namhkam alone, and community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
-run rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
centers were set up to tackle the rising problem of addiction. The first of these started in 1998 were declared illegal and forced to close in 2000 by the authorities
State Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
.Buddhist monks and teachers
Teachers
Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* Teachers , a British sitcom* Teachers Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers (ministry), one of the...
are also involved in the amelioration of the HIV/AIDS problem among drug users
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
.
Hsinshweli high yield hybrid rice
Hybrid rice
Hybrid rice is any genealogy of rice produced by crossbreeding different kinds of rice. As with other types of hybrids, hybrid rice typically displays heterosis such that when it is grown under the same conditions as comparable high-yielding inbred rice varieties it can produce up to 30% more rice...
cultivation has been promoted in recent years by the authorities in the region.
Development
Burma and China signed a contract in August 2003 for a hydel power project. A damDam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
is under construction on the Shweli River
Shweli River
Shweli River is a river in Myanmar . Also known as Nam Mao in Shan and Lung Chuan Chiang in Chinese, it forms part of the boundary between Burma and China. It is one of the tributaries of the country's chief river, the Ayeyarwady, and arises in Yunnan Province of China...
near Namhkam aiming to supply electricity to Kyaukme
Kyaukme (Shan State)
Kyaukme is a town in northern Shan State of Burma. It is situated on the Mandalay - Lashio road, after Pyin U Lwin and Nawnghkio, and before Hsipaw, on what is now the Mandalay - Muse road, part of the Asian Highway route 14 . It is also connected to Momeik in the Shweli River valley and Mogok...
, Hsipaw
Hsipaw
Hsipaw , is a town in Shan State, Myanmar on the riverbank of Myitnge River. It is 200 km northeast of Mandalay.-Shan Saopha:Hsipaw is perhaps one of the most well known and powerful saopha states of Shan State...
, Lashio
Lashio
Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about northeast of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Nam Yao river. The population grew from around 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It is currently estimated at around 130,000.Lashio is the...
and Namtu
Namtu
Namtu is a town in northern Shan State, Burma. Famous for its Bawdwin and Namtu silver mines, it is situated on the Nam Tu River, and is connected to Lashio by rail.-History:...
. The project known as Shweli 1 will supply 600 MW when completed.
Politics
In 2005, an attempt by the Shan State Army-South based near the ThaiThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
border to fill the vacuum left by the 1989 cease-fire agreement between their counterparts in the north and the Burmese military was thwarted.
External links
- Satellite map GeoNamesGeoNamesGeoNames is a geographical database available and accessible through various Web services, under a Creative Commons attribution license.- Database and web services :...