Kachin News Group

The Burmese military junta has ordered ethnic Kachin cultural symbols in Bhamo or also called Manmaw in Kachin language in Kachin State to be removed after the two-day cultural festival known as "Manau dance" and "Thanksgiving ceremony", said local sources.

The biggest festival of Kachin people in Bhamo district called the "2nd Bhamo District's Thanksgiving and Sut Manau Festival" was celebrated on November 27 and 28 despite the junta’s interference, said local Kachin cultural leaders. The first festival was celebrated in 1996.

Even before celebrating the festival, instructions were issued that the cultural Manau Poles and Hall in the Bhamo Kachin Literature and Culture (BKLC) venue in Aung Ta village, two miles northeast of Bhamo downtown be removed as soon as the festival was over. The directives came from Col. Khin Maung Myint, chairman of Bhamo District Administration, according to BKLC's members.

The Kachin traditional Manau Hall was constructed with wood and has a thatch roof.  The wooden Manau Poles were set at the centre of the 200 sq-ft circular Manau ground.  Both cultural symbols were built before the festival, said cultural leaders.

Till today, two days after the festival, the two main Kachin Manau symbols in the cultural venue were not removed by Manau officials, said local eyewitnesses.

According to Bhamo cultural leaders, the Manau and Thanksgiving festivals were originally planned to be celebrated over three days--- November 26 to 28. However, it was reduced to two days following the restrictions by Col. Khin Maung Myint.

On the orders of Col. Khin Maung Myint, a government bulldozer entered the Manau compound and dug up sand stones and lime in the 200 sq-ft circular-shaped Manau dance field, prepared as thin concrete floors for smooth Manau dance.  

During the two-day festival, all guests and local participants, who danced the Manau in the damaged Manau ground suffered pain in their feet because of the rough and uneven  earth floor, according to Manau dancers.

Bhamo-based Chinese and Gurkha (Nepalese) cultural organizations were ready to take part in the Kachin festival but they were prohibited by the district military authorities, said sources close to the tribal cultural groups.

The junta also banned the mass participation of Kachins, also called Jingpos in Chinese from neighbouring China's southwest Yunnan's province in the Bhamo Kachin festival, according to cultural leaders.

The regime banned construction of strong or concrete ethnic Kachin cultural Manau Hall and Manau Poles in Bhamo since early this year, said leaders of BKLC.