Digital Democracy China Report 2008

8/14/2019 Digital Democracy China Report 2008

1/6

Digital DemocracyEmpowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies

China-Burma Border Research 2008


2/6

Digital DemocracyEmpowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies

Regional Snapshot!

Ruili is a small city on the Western edge of Chinas Yunnan province. Itis the largest border crossing between China and Burma/Myanmar andis a major conduit for trade between the two countries. Essentially allconsumer items from simple clothes and plastic furniture to complexgoods such as electronics and motorcycles flow from China into Burma.This trade represents one of the few sources of such goods for thoseliving on the Burmese side. In the other direction go raw materials from

Northern Burmas mines and forests: timber, gold, metal ores and,perhaps most importantly, jade, extremely high-quality examples ofwhich are mined in Northern Burmas Kachin State.

In addition to this legal commercial exchange, there is significant illegaltrafficking of drugs, particularly heroin, and people - often sold into sexwork - from Burma into China. This part of Yunnan borders the infamousGolden Triangle of opium production with Northern Thailand and Laosand Northeastern Burma. These activities have given Ruili a reputationas a lawless border town where anything goes. For much of the lasttwo decades the governments of China, Thailand and Laos, with

support from the United Nations and other international organizationshave combated this trade with greatsuccess though opium cultivation stillpersists in Burma.1

Demographically Ruili and its environsare ethnically diverse. It is situated inthe Dai and Jingpo AutonomousPrefecture. Dai and Jingpo are theChinese names of ethnic minoritiesknown in Burma as the Shan andKachin, respectively. While an

estimated 91% of Chinas overall

population is ethnically Han, in thisprefecture the Dai and Jingpocomprise most of the population.2These groups have lived in theregions on both sides of the modernborder for centuries. Official business

Kachin on the China-Burma Border

Why We WentIn August 2008 Dd sent a researchteam to the Chinese city of Ruili on

the Burmese/Myanmar border.While a great deal of internationalattention has been focused on

Beijings material and diplomaticsupport of the Burmese junta, there

is relatively little understanding ofthe border region between the two

countries. This research was aninitial survey of the region and itspopulation, in particular the Kachin

ethnic group. We were particularlyinterested in seeing what effect

extraordinary circumstances had onthe border, such as the Olympic

Games which were being held inBeijing at the time of this research.

Specific goals of this research were:

1) To gain an understanding of thepopulation and movements of

Burmese ethnic minority peoples inNorthern Burma and on the China-

Burma border.

2) To assess the penetration ofinformation and communicationstechnologies (ICTs) in the region

and the availability and accessibilityof ICTs and ICT networks.

3) To assess the nature of civil

society organizations (CSOs) andcommunity based organizations

(CBOs) in the region with specialattention to youth participation andtechnology usage.

Highlighted area: Burma/

Myanmar border with China

Digital Democracy is a non-profit organization using digital technologies to empower civic engagement. Wework with local partners to develop tools that help community organizations promote human rights and build localcapacity. Emphasizing the need for new media literacy, we prepare youth and communities with the tools they

need to be informed and engaged citizens in the 21st

century.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place


3/6

Digital Democracy

is conducted in Mandarin but at least a dozen other local languages and dialects are also spoken.

The autonomous label in the prefectures title should not be interpreted to mean true political autonomy.There are many such autonomous ethnic administrative regions in China and they are all strictly subjectto the authority of the Communist Party. However, the designation does reflect and acknowledge thetraditional ethnic make up of these areas as distinct from the rest of the country.

On the Burma side of the border Ruili is the gateway to Kachin and Shan States. Both of these regions arepopulated primarily by the ethnic nationalities of the same namesalong with smaller ethnicities and sub-groups. Like many ofBurmas other ethnic nationalities, the Kachin and Shan havebeen waging a long-standing armed independence struggleagainst the ruling Burmese government and the Burman ethnicmajority. In fact, these are two of the states where the strongestand most persistent resistance remains. In the past year the

Burmese military has led campaigns to try to bring these groupsinto line.3

Kachin State itself is divided into territory controlled by the Burmese military and territory controlled by anindependent Kachin political body, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and its military wing, theKachin Independence Army (KIA). While technically able to move around the country, it is only within KIO-held territories that Kachin people are free to organize and participate in politically or culturally sensitive

organizations or activities.

What We Did

Empowering Civic Engagement Through Digital Technologies

Community InterviewsMet with Kachin Community BasedOrganizations for a communityneeds analysis and a look attechnicalcapacity. Topics rangedfrom life on the border,

connections to greater democracymovement, contrast betweenChina and Burma/Myanmar,technology access, access toinformation, migrant labor,language barriers, economics andhealth. A particular focus was onmobile phone access and networkspillover on the border.

New Media Profiles! Digital Democracyconducted interviews withcommunity leaders. A digitalmedia training took place with10 youth leaders from local

Kachin community basedorganizations. Several cameraswere used as part of a newmedia literacy training coveringvarious aspects of citizen

journalism, including storytellingand strategies for transport,display and dissemination ofwork.

Government slogan in Ruili: Speak

Civilized, Act Civilized, Be Civilized.

I think, to me, the China

web is totally free.

- Kachin male, 26

1 UN News Service, October 16, 2006, Opium cultivation in Asias Golden Triangle falls significantly, UN drug

agency reports2 CIA (2009), CIA: World Factbook: China3 Fuller, Thomas, The New York Times, August 28, 2009, Fleeing Battle Myanmar Refugees Head for China


4/6

Digital Democracy

What We LearnedRegional Isolation

Physical Isolation -Geographically Kachin State itself is very isolated,mountainous and remote. The Burmese military maintains physical controlover the main highway linking the Ruili border crossing to Mandalay, cuttingthe Kachin off from the regions most important roadway. Infrastructure andcommunications networks inside Kachin State are extremely limited. Theroads connecting Kachin and Shan States are so poorly maintained that formany people traveling between them it is actually easier to go indirectly bycrossing into China and taking advantage of the superior road networksaround Ruili.

Technological Isolation - Landline telephones are difficult and expensive to

obtain and therefore there are few telephone lines in Kachin state. Mobilephones are much more common and the Kachin are quickly adapting to theiruse, skipping over landline technology almost entirely. Mobiles, however,have many limitations. Inside Burma, phones can be prohibitively expensive.Virtually all Kachin who do have mobiles buy them in China and use one ofthe three Chinese service providers: China Mobile, China Telecom or ChinaUnicom. However, interviewees said that using Chinese service providersinside Burma is illegal and that service is only reliable near the border anddoesnt reach large swaths of Kachin State limiting its usefulness.

Continuing Consequences of Isolation - Some whom we interviewedexpressed the opinion that many young Kachin did not connect with the wider

democracy or independence movements around Burma. They attributed thispartially to Kachin States isolation and inability to connect to ideas andsupport from the outside world. They contrasted their situation with that ofethnic minorities on the Thai border such as the Karen. They pointed out thecomparatively heavy presence of international organizations working inThailand on the border and the subsequent support in both money andorganizing that that presence affords.

Contextual Setbacks

Regional priorities In addition to providing a flow of trade and access tocommunication in the form of mobile phones and computers, China can

provide a physical space for Kachin CBOs to meet and strategize. Themonument pictured at right was located in a large public square in a smalltown outside of Ruili near the Burma border checkpoint indicating the relativefreedom with which the Kachin and other minorities can move and expressthemselves inside China. Chinese authorities highest priorities in the Ruiliarea are drug trafficking, HIV/AIDS containment and other health issues.At times, both the local government and the provincial government inKunming have negotiated and collaborated directly with the KachinIndependence Organization on these issues. Kachin groups often use theseissues as an alibi to convene meetings or trainings in China that may in factbe on more politically sensitive topics.


Mainstreet in the Day

Night Market

Border Checkpoint


5/6

Digital Democracy

Internet Resources and Restrictions - Due to the lack of technologyinfrastructure inside Kachin State and relatively extreme methods ofcensorship throughout Burma very few Kachin have computer access. Onthe China side of the border cybercafes are common throughout Ruili andother towns and cities, are open to the public and broadband internetaccess is widely available. Therefore most Kachin who are active onlinedo so from within China, not Burma. However, this access does not comewithout restrictions. In addition to the widely known Chinese governmentcensorship of sensitive websites and keyword searches, throughout ChinaID cards are required to use computers in cafes. Users leave theirinformation in a sign-in book at the front desk where they purchase time touse. At almost all cafes in other parts of China our passports weresufficient ID though at one cafe in Ruili they were not accepted and ourKachin interviewee had to use his ID to secure a computer for us to use.Most cafe users access the internet for online games, chatting and e-mail.

Accessibility of Mobiles - Purchasing SIM cards for phones is simple.Even as a foreigner one can simply enter an electronics store or an outletof any of the telecom providers to purchase one. Prices range from 50-60RMB ($7-$9) depending on the how lucky the numbers for the SIM cardare. Top-ups can be purchased readily at news stands, kiosks andconvenience stores. Our SIM cards were purchased in Guangdongprovince, in Southeastern China and occasionally merchants in otherprovinces would claim that their top-ups could not be used on a SIMpurchased in another province. However, we found that questions aboutwhere we purchased our SIM were asked very inconsistently and we usedtop-ups from several provinces on our Guangdong SIM.

Risks of Operating - Though key for accessing ICTs, in other ways Chinais not an ideal place for Kachin activists and organizations. Chineseauthorities are wary of political activism, particularly if it is seen asseparatist or democratic in nature. Activism planned in or originating fromwithin Chinas borders would be considered threatening. Though Chinesegovernment officials have shown a willingness to engage with Kachinpolitical groups on certain issues of mutual concern, China is an ally of theBurmese government and Burmese Military Intelligence has agentsstationed in the Ruili area. Most Kachin CBOs and CSOs do not haveoffices in China. Some groups, such as a womens organization thatalso has offices in Thailand and India, maintain a small presence in the

Ruili area to monitor issues such as human trafficking but keep a lowprofile and do not make their activities known publicly. Ultimately, KIO-held areas of Kachin State are the only places in the region for suchgroups to operate safely in the open.

Border Issues - To cross the border into China, Burmese citizens mustobtain a border passbook which is stamped upon entry and exit by theChinese border control. The stamps are not visas and only allow thebearer to remain in the country for 24 hours. The border passes aresufficient for most purposes such as conducting simple businesstransactions but for many other activities the restrictions quickly become


Kachin Monument

Transporting Vegetables

Weekly Journal on Technology

Sohu Block Page


6/6

Digital Democracy

burdensome. The border is highly susceptible to closure. During the Beijing Olympics, extra checkpointswere set up on the roads connecting Ruili to the border crossings and other towns in the area. From theKachin border town of Maijayang, interviewees reported that they had to pass as many as 5 checkpoints, not

including the Burmese and Chinese border controls, to reach Ruili. Many that tried to meet with us wereturned back, often not at the border itself but at checkpoints once inside China. Others were able to getthrough, sometimes simply by trying again via a different route. No one was able to explain why the policehad become so strict or what the justification was for sending them back to Burma even after they had beenstamped through at the border. The only answer was, because of the Olympics. This revealed thetentative nature of the access that people living on the Burmese side have to the resources available inChina.

Community InfrastructureLack of New Media Literacy - Most Kachin people do not have any exposure or access to computers.Internet access is extremely rare. Sites for uploading or sending photographs, video or other multimedia aretherefore very rare inside Kachin State. As with mobiles, almost all computers and computer equipment are

purchased or accessed in China. Predictably, many Kachin have little or no computer literacy.

Important Role Played by CBOs - In Kachin State there are many CBOs and most young people aremembers of at least one. Many Kachin interviewees reported virtually all are Christian and churchattendance is generally high. Consequently, many groups and organizations emerge from the religiouscommunity and are focused on social issues as opposed to political ones. Major concerns in Kachin Stateare drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and unemployment. Because of Burmas political situation there areessentially no avenues for Kachin people to engage in politics at the national level. Therefore young peoplewho do become involved in politics can only participate on the local level and only within KIO-held territory.

What We Recommend

The lack of access to ICTs is a major limitation on Kachin groups and communities. All types of Kachincommunity organizations - and the populations they serve - would benefit from a capacity to communicatereliably, consistently and securely with people and groups both inside and outside Kachin State. Frompolitical organizations and community health centers to businesses looking for employees and theunemployed looking for work.

1. Trainings - There is a great demand for trainings such as those we provided during our research andother new media literacy trainings. Along with using technology there is especially a need for training andinformation on security.

2. Equipment and Material Support - Whether it be in the

form of books, equipment or funding would there are manyschools and CBOs interested in modern education withoutmuch access to the necessary tools.

3. Localization of tools & educational materials - Giventhe variety of languages and the specific political situation,the Ruili area is an ideal place for open source software. Tools need to be translatable and interoperableto make an impact across social strata and ethnic divisions to avoid empowering certain groups overothers and causing resentment.

Made Possible ByThank you to individual donors, oursupporters, our Advisory Board and our

heroic local partners.

Digital Democracy

109 W 27th St, 6 fl | New York, NY 10001 USA

+1-347-688-DDEM [3336] | [email protected] | Twitter @DigiDem | www.digital-democracy.org

http://www.digital-democracy.org/http://www.digital-democracy.org/http://www.digital-democracy.org/http://www.digital-democracy.org/http://www.digital-democracy.org/

Documents

Digital Democracy China Report 2008