Borderland Solidarity: Indigenous Law, Media, and Environmental Activism in Kachinland

Document Type

Book

Role

Author

Publisher

Stanford University Press

Publication Date

8-2026

Abstract

Kachinland is an unrecognized state in the borderlands of Myanmar, India, China, and Thailand. Its geography throws into sharp relief the intersecting dynamics of British colonialism, settler colonialism, and protracted war between the Kachin Independence Army and the Myanmar Army. Kachinland's rich natural resources—including jade and hydropower—are coveted by the junta-led Myanmar government and its energy hungry neighbor, China. As resource extraction and land confiscation intensifies, Kachin activists and artists turn to Indigenous law and media to stem the tide of displacement and dispossession.

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