Kachin Independence Army / Kachin Independence Organisation (KIA/KIO)

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) is the armed wing of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), one of many groups fighting Myanmar’s central government. Reuters reported that the KIA took control of the rare earth mining area around Chipwi and Pangwa, near the Chinese border, in October 2024, and that it imposed a 20% tax on the mostly Chinese-operated miners there.

A Foreign Policy analysis published in August 2026 said the KIO now controls Kachin State’s rare earth industry, that mining revenue funds both its military operations and public services, and that miners report weak enforcement of the rules it says it has introduced. In May 2026, Reuters reported a military offensive aimed in part at retaking the mining belt. Reuters has also reported that Indian companies were involved in discussions to explore collecting samples from mines under KIA control.