This article examines China's response to the influxes of ethnic Kachins displaced by armed conflict from Myanmar and discusses the probable legal and policy considerations underlying China's response. It is based on the existing literature as well as fieldwork in Yunnan Province, China and Kachin State, Myanmar. Since June 2011, more than 10,000 displaced Kachins have entered into Yunnan. China has provided little assistance to them and forcibly repatriated about 5,000 of them in August and September 2012. Although displaced Kachins in Yunnan qualify prima facie for refugee status under the Refugee Convention and Protocol, China refuses to recognize them as refugees and primarily relies on the 1997 Chinese–Myanmar Border Management Agreement and the 1990 Yunnan Rules to handle them. China's concerns about domestic stability and desire to protect its political, strategic and economic interests in Myanmar arguably have contributed to China's policy toward displaced Kachins.
Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (concluded 28 July 1951; entered into force 22 April 1954). Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.pdf.
3.
Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees (concluded 31 January 1967; entered into force 4 October 1967). Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/4dac37d79.pdf.
4.
Yunnan Province Administrative Rules for Entry–Exit of External Border Residents in the Chinese–Myanmar Border Areas, promulgated by the People's Government of Yunnan Province on 13 July 1990. Available at: www.zffz.yn.gov.cn/image20010518/121810.doc.
Beijing Youth Daily (2015) Paodan luoru 10 tianlai zhongguo zhengfu ruhe yingdui [How the Chinese government has responded since the bombs fell ten days ago], 3 March [In Chinese]. Available at: http://news.ifeng.com/a/20150323/43393886_0.shtml.
Chinese Christian Journalists Association (2012) keqin nanmin jiuzhu: keqin chongtu lishi beijing fenxi [Assistance of Kachin refugees: Historical analysis of the Kachin conflict]. [In Chinese]. Available at: http://www.chinaaid.net/2012/04/blog-post_9.html.
Fan CG and Shao SW (2013) ‘dao zhongguo qu’: zhongmian bianjingxianshang de shiwan keqin nanmin [‘Go to China’: The 100 thousand Kachin refugees on the Chinese–Myanmar border]. [In Chinese]. Available at: http://www.infzm.com/content/85250.
Holzer V (2012) The 1951 Refugee Convention and the Protection of People Fleeing Armed Conflict and Other Situations of Violence. UNHCR Legal and Protection Policy Series, PPLA/2012/05. Refworld. Available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/50474f062.html.
Luo G (2011) Yunnan bianjing minzu diqu renkou feifa liudong fazhi duice yanjiu [A study on legal strategies for regulating illegal border crossing in Yunnan border areas inhabited by ethnic groups]. Hebei Law Science 9: 184–191. [In Chinese].
49.
MaungM (1961) The Burma–China boundary settlement. Asian Survey1(1): 38–43.
50.
MtangoE (1989) Military and armed attacks on refugee camps. In: LoescherGMonahanL (eds) Refugees and International Relations, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, pp. 87–121.
OwenNG (2005) The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia: A New History, Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Press.
56.
Pan HQ (2009) weiwen naru zhengji kaohe xu fang fumian fantan [Caution needed for negative impact of adopting stability maintenance as a measure for performance evaluation]. [In Chinese]. Available at: http://jjckb.xinhuanet.com/gd/2009-05/31/content_160918.htm.
57.
Phoenix News (2013) nanmin yong Yunnan zhi fanzui zengduo quansheng jingli zengyuan [Refugees' influx leads to increased number of criminal cases in Yunnan; Police forces are increased to cope], 5 September [In Chinese]. Available at: http://3g.ifeng.com/news/youbao/news?vt=2&aid=70600001&mid=&p=4.
Qiu YZ and Du TQ (2013) miandian zhengfujun gongzhan zhanlue yaodi: zhongguo xinan bianchui weiwen yali zouzheng [Myanmar government army took control of a strategic point: Pressure for stability maintenance increased at China's southwest frontier], 28 January [In Chinese]. Available at: http://world.people.com.cn/n/2013/0128/c157278-20340922.html.
Singapore United Morning Post (2017) weibi zhanhuo mianbei pingmin fentao yunnan [Escaping warfare: Civilians from northern Myanmar fled to Yunnan Province], 14 January [In Chinese]. Available at: http://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/sea/story20170114-713261.
SongL (2017) Refugees or border residents from Myanmar? The status of displaced ethnic Kachins and Kokangs in Yunnan Province, China. International Journal of Refugee Law29(3): 466–487.
Sun JX (2013) zhongmian youqi guandao, zhongguo anggui de yike? [China–Myanmar oil and gas pipe lines, one expensive lesson for China?], 11 July [In Chinese]. Available at: http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20130711/cc11myanmar/.
Transnational Institute (2013) The Kachin crisis: Peace must prevail. Burma Policy Briefing, No. 10, March. Amsterdam: Transnational Institute and Burma Centrum Nederland. Available at: https://www.tni.org/files/download/bpb10.pdf.
UNHCR (reissued 2011) Handbook and guidelines on procedures and criteria for determining refugee status under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. Available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4f33c8d92.html.
UNHCR (2016) Guidelines on International Protection No 12: Claims for refugee status related to situations of armed conflict and violence under Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees and the regional refugee definitions. Available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/583595ff4.html.
76.
Wagley R (2015) Myanmar's peace process: Mediating historic distrust: An interview with Gum San NSang. The National Bureau of Asian Research, 2 February. Available at: http://nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=528.
77.
WaltonM (2008) Ethnicity, conflict, and history in Myanmar: The myths of Panglong. Asian Survey48(6): 889–910.
78.
WangZ (2007) The Jingpo: Kachin of the Yunnan Plateau, Tempe, AZ: ASU Center for Asian Research.
