Kachin Celebrities to Hold Fundraiser for Refugees

Well-known Kachin artists will perform at a concert in Rangoon on Feb. 25 to raise funds for fellow Kachin displaced by an ongoing conflict in northern Burma, according to event organizers.

“When Kachin singers in Rangoon discussed about how they could help Kachin people affected by the armed conflict in their area, they came up with the idea of organizing a concert,” said L Lun Wa, a Kachin musician and one of the concert organizers.

“They want to hold it to help their own people on humanitarian grounds,” he added, speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

He said about 20 Kachin singers, including Naw Naw, Rebecca Win, L Sai Zi, N Kai Yar, Daung Hlwan, Aung La, Ann Naw, L Kun Ye, K Gyar Nu, Kauk Mai, Blueberry and himself, will perform at the benefit concert to help over 60,000 war refugees.

L Lun Wa added that Kachin models such as Z Abauk, Awn Seng and Seng Lu will also join the all-Kachin concert, which will be called “The Beauty of Manau Music Night,” featuring singing and Kachin traditional dancing.

Ticket for the event will sell for 5,000 kyat (US $6.50) and all profits and donations collected will be taken to Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, by Kachin singers and handed over directly to organizations helping the refugees, L Lun Wa explained.

“We will mainly give the war refugees moral support. We will encourage them and also let them know, by helping them as much we can, that we feel just as sad and unhappy as they do,” continued L Lun Wa.

The concert will reportedly be billed as a fundraising event for Kachin war refugees. Organizers will accept cash donations as well as clothing and other necessities.

“Apart from the ticket fee, we will also accept donations, which we will take to Myitkyina,” said L Lun Wa.

The ongoing armed conflict between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army broke out in June 2011 and has already displaced over 60,000 locals.

Clashes reportedly continue to take place, although representatives of the two sides have met a number of times to discuss a ceasefire and other issues.