| Sumari: | As Kachin ethnic education is a key variable of the peace process in Myanmar, this study
investigated the effect of prolonged ethnic conflict, created under Burmanization, on the ethnic
education system and its students. As a participant in this study, 315 ethnic students from the four
educational institutions in Mai Ja Yang, KIO/ KIA territories: Institute of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, Mai Ja Yang College, Law Academy, and Mai Ja Yang Institute of Education, were
randomly selected based on the calculated sample size. As Mai Ja Yang town is the central
education area of KIO/ KIA, so the results of this research could be generalized to the study
population. Additionally, qualitative analysis was done on the interview with the Higher Education
Director of the institutions and KED. ‘Jinghpaw’ as the medium of instruction in the institutions
of KIO/ KIA control regions become necessarily helpful for its student to be impervious from the
perception of Burmanization, and to preserve ethnic identity. The conflict has retarded the various
sector of development, specifically the education sector, and KED is encountering financial issues
as well as human resources to provide better education to its students; on the other hand, ethnic
students have to endure limited educational fields and career options. Along with those limitations,
the IDP students suffer from financial security which leads to relinquishing education so that they
become young workers, and some are targeted as the source of political unrest. Based on the
limited study area, and confidentiality for security, more research is needed to understand the
construction of civil war on ethnic education and its students.
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