Anonymous

This stunning photographic series by Anonymous gives the viewer a very personal experience of what life is like in the KIA – the Kachin Independence Army. The KIA is the armed division of the KIO – Kachin Independence Organisation, which is a political group of ethnic Kachin people living in Northern Myanmar. Officially formed in 1961, the KIA has been engaged in conflicts and peace accords with Myanmar’s military junta for decades. It is funded by taxes and the jade, gold and timber trade. The mission of the KIA has always stood for autonomy for ethnic groups and self-determination but took on yet another mission after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar. It has engaged the junta several times and seized at least 10 military bases. It has also trained groups which joined the People’s Defence Force, or PDF. The photographs show the lives of young men in training and living day-to-day in the northern jungles of Myanmar.

Nine photographs are on view in the exhibition, however only three are able to be displayed online to preserve the anonymity of the subjects.