Recently, the Kokang Allied forces have achieved a notable victory in northern Myanmar, having successfully captured Lao Cai, the capital of the Kokang region. But this is not their limit, and with the "Three Brothers Alliance", their combat range has gone far beyond the Kokang region. While occupying Lao Cai, they also spread the fighting to other parts of northern Myanmar. Recently, in addition to Lashio and Kokang, the second largest Chinese settlement, Da Mengyi, has also been captured by the Kokang Allied forces.
Da Mengyi is a place inhabited by more than 100,000 Chinese, and its population size is comparable to that of the Kokang region, which has a total population of 200,000. The area of Damengyi is slightly smaller than the Kokang area, which is more than 1,800 square kilometers, but in terms of area, the capture of Damengyi by the Kokang Alliance is almost equivalent to conquering a Kokang again.
The historical origins of the Chinese people in Damengyi are very interesting, and we will delve into this topic in the following time. The history, culture, and stories of the people of this place are all worth further understanding and excavating.
According to Myanmar's official public statement, there are 135 ethnic groups in the country. This figure is confusing, as Myanmar has a relatively limited land area and a relatively small population. Why are there so many ethnic groups? In fact, this is a deliberate result of the Burmese Government. In order to consolidate the dominance of the Burmese, the government often resorted to tactics of dividing other ethnic groups. One such strategy is to subdivide ethnic groups.
The residents of the Kokang area are identified by the Burmese government as "Kokang", while the people of the Greater Mengyi area are of the same origin as the Kokang people, but they are classified as "Mengwen Poma". This artificial division has caused two ethnic groups that were originally close to each other to be given different ethnic labels, further exacerbating the complexity of the ethnic issue.
In a country as diverse as Myanmar, such ethnic divisions are not easy. Those ethnic groups such as the "Kokang" and "Mengwen Poma" who can be recognized by the Myanmar government do not come out of thin air, but have been fought for over a long period of time. In stark contrast, ethnic groups such as Indian-Burmese and Bengali (Rohingya) have not been officially recognized by the Burmese government, despite living in Myanmar for hundreds of years. This difference in treatment seems to tell us that in order to gain a place in Myanmar, it is not enough to have blood, but also to have real strength and hard work.
Mengwen Boma tribe, this title actually contains a deep historical origin. They can be traced back to the descendants of the Duan family in Dali, and when the Dali kingdom fell, some members of this family chose to migrate to the Damengwen region.
Imagine that at that turning point in history, they took the memories and expectations of their families and trekked through mountains and rivers to this land that came to be known as Da Mengyi. With the passage of time, "Da Mengyi" became their new home, and "Mengwen" became their new national title, which also became their Xi expression of their identity and belonging to the outside world.
Such a historical background makes the Mengwen Poma people in the Myanmar ethnic family, adding a special emotion and memory, their existence is not only a historical witness, but also the adherence and inheritance of family traditions.
According to historical records, the year 1114 in the Burmese calendar is an important year. That year, Duan Wu, the local Tusi chief, led a group of valiant villagers to form a powerful armed force, and they chose to join the forces of the Burmese king U Aung Seya to fight against the Siamese invaders. In this fierce battle, Duan Wu showed extraordinary courage and wisdom, and his heroic performance was amazing, and he made great achievements for the Burmese army.
In recognition of Duan Wu's contributions, the King of Burma decided to give him a rich reward. The king bestowed Duan Wu with 50 majestic elephants and 500 loyal soldiers, which was undoubtedly a great honor. More importantly, the king also specially assigned Duan Wu's descendants to guard the precious land of Damengyi.
In this way, Duan's toast has been passed down in the Damengyi area for 13 generations, a period of more than 200 years. Even during the difficult years of Japanese aggression during World War II, they always held on to this land. It was not until 1962, with the abolition of the Tusi system in Myanmar, that the Duanjia Tusi gradually withdrew from the stage of history.
In the Greater Menggi region of Myanmar, the love of Han Chinese culture is evident. Dressed in Hanfu, they spontaneously carried out Chinese language education, so that the traditional Xi of the Han people could be passed on from generation to generation. You can imagine hanging a statue of Confucius, pasting red paper during the Spring Festival, writing Spring Festival couplets, and inviting the God of Wealth, all of which are part of their daily lives, showing their dedication and love for Han culture.
This love has not been shared by the Burmese authorities. Under the influence of "Greater Burmeseism", the residents of Damenggi have long been deprived of their legal identity in Myanmar and even have no Burmese nationality. This means that they suffer discrimination in their own countries and are denied the rights and dignity they deserve.
The residents of Damengyi did not give up. They have formed spontaneous civil society organizations, such as the Han Peranakan Association, in an effort to call on the Burmese authorities to give them the legal status they deserve. Regrettably, however, their voices do not seem to have received enough attention, and the Burmese authorities have turned a deaf ear to their plight. In this situation, their lives have become more difficult and their future prospects have become more and more uncertain.
Since the last century, Myanmar has been in a state of constant strife, and "grass kings" have sprung up everywhere. In this turbulent context, opportunities and dangers coexist, and the Chinese in Damengyi have seized the opportunity of fate.
In the 80s, Wang Guoda, the Chinese leader of Damengyi, organized an armed group of Mengwen people, and their strength should not be underestimated. This armed force is not only a combat team, but also a kind of perseverance and pursuit for the future. They chose to form an alliance with the Burmese authorities and fight alongside the Burmese army, and every victory was won with their sweat and blood.
Wang Guoda is not only a great leader, but also a doer. He personally organized a caravan transport team and led the armed forces of the Mengwen people, which numbered more than 1,000 people, to provide important support to the Burmese army. This dedication lasted for 13 years, and their contributions were fully demonstrated on the battlefield.
Even more legendary, it is recorded that Wang Guoda once saved the life of General Than Shwe of the Burmese army. This move undoubtedly deepened his relationship with the Burmese authorities and won more trust and support for the Mengwen armed forces.
After years of hard work and dedication, Wang Guoda and his Mengwen armed forces have finally established their prestige among the Burmese authorities, and their names have become a symbol of strength, bringing new hope and opportunities to the entire Greater Menggi region.
In 1992, a historic moment finally arrived. Myanmar's Prime Minister, General Than Shwe, made a solemn promise to Wang Guoda that the Chinese in the Greater Menggi area would be expected to obtain legal status. This promise is like a ray of sunshine, piercing the long-standing haze and bringing hope to the Chinese people in Damengyi.
This hope is not unconditional. General Than Shwe insisted that these people could not join Myanmar as "Chinese". This condition was like a boulder, once again blocking their way.
But General Than Shwe didn't completely block their path of hope. He proposed a compromise plan: to divide these people into a new ethnic group, the "Mengwen Boma tribe". This new ethnic label is like a new identity card, although it carries some strangeness, but it also opens a new door for them.
The word "Burma" is actually a transliteration of Burma. The choice of transliteration is a clever metaphor that both reflects their deep ties to Myanmar and highlights their uniqueness as a distinct people. Although this new identity label does not completely erase their past memories and experiences, it at least provides them with a new beginning, a new opportunity.
Although General Than Shwe had verbally promised to grant legal status to the Chinese in the Greater Mong Gih area, this commitment was not formally approved by the Burmese authorities by the expected 20 October 2000. During that long waiting period, the mood of the Mengwen Chinese was like a kite hanging in the air, fluttering.
After countless expectations and disappointments, an official document from the Ministry of the Interior of Myanmar was like a long drought and a rainstorm, officially identifying the Mengwen Chinese as the "Mengwen Boma ethnic group in the Greater Mengyi area". At that moment, they seemed to see the hope of putting down roots in this land.
Recognition of national identity does not mean that everything is settled. In the coming days, they will have to go through more twists and turns. It was not until 2016 that after unremitting efforts and persistence, Dameng Wenhua finally obtained the approval of "Mengwen Boma Nation".
According to U.S. media reports, a large number of Mengwen people chose to naturalize in Myanmar that year, and their figures poured into various naturalization processing points like a tide. The number of naturalized naturalized people varies from 60,000 to 100,000. Behind these numbers are vivid individuals and families who are making difficult choices to obtain legal identity and a better life in Myanmar.
Looking back on this process, we can see what hardships and twists and turns Dameng Yiren has experienced on the road to fighting for legal status. Every step of their journey has not been easy, but it is this tenacity and perseverance that have made them where they are today.
Today, Wang Guoda's identity is far from what it used to be. He is not only a member of the Myanmar Parliament, but also wears many hats, serving as the commander of the "People's Security Forces" in Da Mengyi, the president of the "Mengwen Poma National Culture Association", and the chairman of the "Board of Directors of the Da Mengyi Group Company". These positions are like mountain peaks, pushing him to the pinnacle of power in the Damengyi region.
Under his leadership, the military power of the Damengyi area is like an impregnable wall, guarding the tranquility of this land, cultural undertakings are like bright pearls, shining with unique light, and economic development is like a rushing river, continuously injecting vitality into this land.
What is even more remarkable is that these achievements of Wang Guoda have the full support of the Myanmar authorities. This not only strengthened his position in the Dameng stable region, but also provided a solid backing for him to play a key role in various fields. Today's Wang Guoda has become a man of the hour in the Dameng region and even the entire Myanmar, and his every move has attracted the attention of countless people.
From the above history and current situation, we can see how the Chinese in the Damengyi area have struggled forward in the long river of history, and how they have unswervingly pursued their legitimate status and development opportunities in the face of various difficulties and challenges. Their stories are full of grandeur and twists and turns, but more importantly, they have shown perseverance and perseverance, which is not only their own glorious tradition, but also the common pursuit and value of all ethnic minorities.
With the improvement of the identity and social status of the Chinese in the Greater Mengyi area, they are also facing new challenges and responsibilities. The first is how to better integrate into Myanmar's multicultural family and play their unique role as an emerging people. They need to continue to pursue development and progress and to participate in the building of the country and society in an active way.
The second is how to protect and inherit one's own cultural traditions and national characteristics. Under the impact of modern society, traditional culture often faces the challenge of disappearance and marginalization, and the Chinese in the Damengyi area need to make more efforts to preserve and promote their traditional cultural elements such as language, Xi, clothing, music, and dance, so that these precious heritages can be inherited and developed.
How to promote the economic and social development of the Greater Mengyi area. As an emerging nation, they need to continue to explore their own development paths, actively integrate into the local economy, education, medical care, social management and other fields, and contribute to the prosperity and stability of the region and the country.
The stories of the Chinese in the Greater Menggi region, who have now gained legal status and recognition, are full of struggle and hope, and reflect the richness of Myanmar's multi-ethnic country. I hope that the Chinese in the Greater Mengyi area can continue to write their own glorious chapter in the long history in the future, and add more diverse cultures and exciting stories to the world.