Burmese Army officers marry and abandon Kachin women

(KNG) -There is a culture prevalent in Nong Mong (Naw Mung in Kachin) city in Putao district in Kachin State, northern Burma where high ranking Burmese military officers marry native Kachin woman and later abandon them and their children, a source said.

Nong Mong is a small city of the native Rawang tribe of Kachin nationals. The Burmese Army has extended its military stranglehold in Putao district after the Burmese ruling junta's No. 2 strongman vice senior general Maung Aye visited the area in 2004, said residents of Putao.

According to a resident of Nong Mong, when Burmese military officers are transferred to Nong Mong city, most of them marry local Rawang woman. And when they move to another posting, they leave their wife and children behind.

However, the Rawang women who marry the officers try to follow their husbands when they get transferred to other places. However, not many can afford to follow them because of transportation and travelling costs, he added.

There are many children with Burmese names but they only speak the Rawang language, said a resident in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State who recently came from Nong Mong.

Nong Mong is 60 miles from northeast Putao district and the road communication and transportation is terrible with few cars. Vehicles travel only one day in a week to Nong Mong from Putao, he added.

Putao is one of the most remote and isolated districts in northern Burma and the airline is the only regular transportation with other parts of Burma. Native Jinghpaw, Rawang and Lisu people live under the systematic pursuit of Buddhism and Burmanization implemented by local Burmese army bases, according to native Putao.

According to a local, even though the Burmese military junta calls Nong Mong a city, it is not like a city at all and has not seen development. Most of the local people have to work in the farm everyday for a living.