Kachin Youths Raising Funds for Church

By Maung Maung Htwe

March 31, 2004 — Six Kachin youths who want to produce a music album to benefit their Church in Chiang Mai are spending their weekends cooking traditional foods to raise money.

The album will be produced in April and will be targeted at Kachins in Chiang Mai and abroad. It's been agreed that the songs should stay away from politics. Profits from sales of the album will be used to help the local Kachin Church, which is opening a new building in April.

Pau Sa Naw Seng, a migrant worker who is one of the six Kachin youths, said the group has asked famous Kachin composers in Burma to write 12 or 13 songs for the album. The group has nine songs in hand. The songs will be recorded at a small studio in Chiang Mai on the last week of March. The singers will be eight Kachins: four migrant workers and four workers for non-government groups.

“Our group's main purpose is to honor God,” said Naw Seng. “Our action is to show how we thank God that we, the Kachin people, have our own Church here.”

The Kachins often create new music by mixing popular songs with their traditional instruments such as flutes. During their festivals, the Kachins sing and dance to the beat of big drums.

“Music is power for everyone,” said Naw Seng. “Everybody can feel music, including Kachin people who live abroad or anywhere in this world. They miss their native land when they listen to Kachin songs.”

The group said that all album production costs, including studio fees, are estimated at 30,000 bahts. All the vocalists will work for free.

The six Kachin youths have been raising money selling roses at the Night Bazaar. They have also been selling rice and curries to migrant workers and members of the Kachin community. They will also sell postcards. They have also received private donations.

Demi, a Kachin student who is a member of the group, said they have been working hard to produce the album not just to honor God.

“Our songs are for all Kachin people to understand our situation in Chiang Mai,” she said. “This town is not our home. We want our people to know how many of us are facing difficulties and struggling in Thailand.”

Naw Seng hopes that all Kachins will be happy to buy the albums. However, he said, “We are not professional musicians and we do not expect that people will say our album is really great or good.”

The group said the tapes will be sold for about 100 baht each. They will be sold in Chiang Mai and distributed to some Kachin communities abroad.

The new building of the Kachin Church, which is called the Wunpwang Christian Church, is near the old building. The Church was established 10 years ago in the Sam Papau area on Doi Saket road, about 10 kilometers north of Chiang Mai. It was founded by Kachin youths.

Wunpwang is the Kachin word for Kachin. The New Church building is under construction with the donations of the Kachins in Chiang Mai.

Every Sunday, about 70 Kachins gather to pray at the Church, said Hkaw Kyang, the assistant pastor of the Church. More than 900 Kachins live in Chiang Mai, said Linda of the Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand KWAT based in Chiang Mai.

Maung Maung Htwe is the Editor-in-Chief & Director of Chiang Mai based Amyin Thit Media Agency, which publishes Amyin Thit monthly Burmese Language Newspaper and daily news online. He contributes this article to The Kachin Post.