Kachin Independence Army

Kachin Independence Army
ShangLawt Hpyen Dap ကချင် လွတ်မြောက်ရေး တပ်မတော် Participant in the Internal conflict in Myanmar
Flag of the Kachin Independence Army
Active	1961 (1961)–present
Ideology	Kachin nationalism Federalism Communism (historical)
Leaders	Lanyaw Zawng Hra
Headquarters	Laiza, Kachin State
Area of operations	Kachin State, Myanmar Yunnan, China Northeast India
Strength	8,000 (2012)
Part of	Kachin Independence Organisation
Allies	Northern Alliance Arakan Army Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army Ta’ang National Liberation Army Other allies All Burma Students' Democratic Front Karen National Union Karen National Liberation Army Kuki National Army Shan State Army - South
Opponents	State opponents  Myanmar Tatmadaw Union of Myanmar (until 2011) Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma (until 1988) Union of Burma (until 1962) Non-state opponents Communist Party of Burma
Battles and wars	Internal conflict in Myanmar Kachin conflict

Northern Alliance

Other allies

State opponents

Non-state opponents

Internal conflict in Myanmar

The Kachin Independence Army (Kachin: ShangLawt Hpyen, Burmese: ကချင် လွတ်မြောက်ရေး တပ်မတော်; abbreviated KIA) is the military wing of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), a political group of ethnic Kachins in northern Myanmar (Burma). The Kachins are a coalition of six tribes whose homeland encompasses territory in Yunnan, China, Northeast India and Kachin State in Myanmar.

The KIA is funded by the KIO, which raises money through regional taxes and trade in jade, timber and gold. Its rifles are a combination of AK-47s, home-made rifles (such as KA-07s) and some artillery. KIA headquarters are outside Laiza, in southern Kachin State near the Chinese border.

In 2009, Thomas Fuller of the New York Times estimated the number of active KIA soldiers at about 4,000. They are divided into five brigades and one mobile brigade. Most are stationed in bases near the Chinese border, in KIO-held strips of territory. In October 2010, KIA commanders said that they had "10,000 regular troops and 10,000 reservists". In May 2012, the group had about 8,000 troops.

In 1949 Naw Seng, a Kachin, was a captain in Kachin Battalion 1. He went underground during the Kayin-Bama riot and joined the Karen National Defense Organization. He was active in northern Shan State as a KNDO agent in 1950. At that time, Zaw Seng was attending the government high school in Lasho. He contacted Naw Seng, and followed him underground. Naw Seng took refuge in China in 1951, and Zaw Seng remained in the KNDO in Than-daung and Baw-ga-li.