Kachin Rangers Bring Relief, Encouragement and Love to Kachin IDPs
- Tyler Bradley
- Apr 19, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 14
Kachin State, Burma
The IDP camp at BP8, close to the Chinese border, has been there for 10 years now. Ten years ago, when the Burma Army broke a longstanding ceasefire with the Kachin and attacked, this was one of the places the people fled to. It is a cold and lonely spot on the border. Over the years, the population has fluctuated as families come and go between their homes; sometimes there will be a break in the fighting long enough that they feel maybe it's safe to return home, then the Burma Army will launch some mortars, or a ground assault, or plant landmines somewhere and they will flee again. Currently, there are 92 families living at BP8, about half of which have been for years and the other half are new arrivals. With the advent of COVID-19, life in the camp has become more difficult as roads have been blocked, the border closed and many organizations that used to help have stopped traveling to places like BP8. The people were very happy to see the Ranger team, who came and stayed for three days, giving out food packs, providing medical care, doing kids' programs and encouraging the people. They met a pastor they had met on previous missions who remembered the team from previous years. He had moved out of the camp but come back to check on it, and also because he wanted to prepare to move back, in case the Burma Army launched more attacks. The team left with this message from the people there: "Don't forget our IDP peoples, and please help for Myanmar peoples and protect from the military coup. We want freedom and peace and we want to go back to our native village. For over ten years we've lived in the IDP camp."
