Women of the Kachin Conflict: Trafficking and Militarized Femininity on the Burma-China Border

Author: Kamler, Erin

Abstract: This article presents findings from field research on the trafficking of women from Kachin State, Burma into China as “forced brides.” Analyzing interviews with trafficking survivors, female soldiers, women’s activists and KIO administrators, I describe the factors that influence trafficking, the mechanism by which it occurs, and argue that by looking at Kachin women’s experiences, we may understand the workings of the conflict more broadly.

Keywords: Burma, China, gender, Kachin conflict, trafficking