Burmese Sketches - Khamkoo

14
BURMESE SKETCHES.
Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs as to the cause
and origin of the warlike operations carried on against the
Kachins on the Upper Irawadi, whether any representations
had been received from the Chinese Government deprecating
British interference with the territory of the Kachins, and
whether the information in his possession showed that the
continuance of warlike operations against the Kachins might
lead to irruptions of Chinese similar to those of the '' Black
Flags " encountered by the French in Tonkin. Sir Edward
Grey replied : "The
operations in question were rendered necessary
by repeated raids of the Kachin tribes in the hills, on the
settled villages situated in the plain country east of the Irawadi.
An attempt was first made to repress these by punitive expeditions,
and as that measure proved insufficient, a more
definite attempt was made in 1891 and 1892 to enforce order
among the tribes with a view to the safety of the villages
under our jurisdiction, and the proper protection of the great
trade routes between Yunnan and Mandalay. Representations
have been made by the Chinese Government, and explanations
have been given in reply, which have been received in a
friendly manner. Negotiations are in progress with China for
a settlement of the frontier which, it is hoped, may shortly be
brought to a satisfactory conclusion, it is not desired to
continue the operations longer or further than is necessary for
the object already mentioned, and there is no reason to believe
that they will give rise to Chinese irruptions of the nature
indicated. At this stage of the negotiations it would not be
desirable to make the correspondence public.^'
Latest advices from Burma indicate that the refractory
Kachins in the neighbourhood of Bhamo were encouraged to
persevere in their unreasonable and unequal struggle by the
persuasion of the ex-Sawbwa or Chief of the Shan State of
Wuntho, who was himself to blame for his deposition and exile.
It will be remembered that since the British annexation of
Upper Burma this Chief had rejected all offers of friendship,
had refused to meet responsible officers to discuss the relations
of his State with the Government, and had placed all possible
obstacles against the project of constructing a railway through
his territory. Not content with assuming an attitude of disloyalty
and mistrust, he violated British territory in 1891 by
sending armed men across the frontier. The challenge thus
thrown down was accepted. He was driven to the Kachin
hills ; and his State was amalgamated with the British district
Qi Katha in Upper Burma. He has now shown his hand in