On this World Refugee Day, we are featuring the long-term documentary work of Kachin photographer Hkun Li. For more than a decade, Hkun Li has documented the conflict and humanitarian crises in Kachin State, witnessing widespread destruction, mass displacement, and an exodus along the China border. While most of those forced from their homes are currently classified as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), it is only a matter of time before they may be forced to cross the border for food, healthcare, and basic survival as fighting escalates in the borderlands.

Driven by displacement and a severe lack of aid, many women and girls have become highly vulnerable to human trafficking. “Human trafficking is a severe problem in Kachin,” Hkun Li notes. “Many girls are sold to China to be wives.” Through his work, he hopes to bring these issues to light: “I want to publish many more stories related to human trafficking in the future to raise awareness and help stop these atrocities.”

In Kachin State alone: ∼244,500 people have been displaced. 
Total Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs):∼3.78 million people remain displaced within Myanmar’s borders. 
Total Refugees & Asylum-Seekers:∼1.62 million people have fled to neighboring countries.

Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
Demonstrators demanded a cease-fire during a protest marking the 7th anniversary of the resumed war in the Kachin region, held in Myitkyina Township on June 9, 2018.
On December 4, 2024, some residents of Bhamo fled along the Ayeyarwady River using motorized boats and traditional watercraft to escape the conflict.
A displaced elderly woman holds a photograph of her former home, which she believes was destroyed in the conflict.
Homes burned down by the military council in the Dawphoneyan village tract.
Hpare IDP Camp is home to people who fled their homes due to the renewed conflict between the military and the KIA that erupted on June 9, 2011.
Hpare IDP Camp is known as one of the most weather-beaten and harsh refugee camps in the region. Amidst the current political crisis, young women and girls from both the refugee camps and villages along the Chinese border are increasingly being targeted for human trafficking and forced marriage.
A junta airstrike targeting a Christian church in Konglaw Village, Momauk Township where displaced civilians were seeking refuge; killed nine people. The victims included seven children under the age of 13, as well as a man and a woman, both in their 30s.
Children are seen at a makeshift school inside the Hpare IDP Camp.
Children learn at a makeshift school inside an IDP camp located in a Kachin Independent Army-controlled area, 5 August 2024.
A displaced mother comforts her baby as they seek refuge inside a temple on 21 February 2025.
Hpare IDP Camp is home to people who fled their homes due to the renewed conflict between the military and the KIA that erupted on June 9, 2011.
Family members mourn as their village was bombarded by the Myanmar military in onglaw Village, Momauk Township.
Villagers from the Wor ethnic group gather to receive healthcare services at a remote village in the Hpimaw Township area, along the Kachin-China border, on 22 February 2026.
War-displaced civilians seeking refuge due to intense fighting in Momauk Township.
As conflict areas widen, displaced people face a heightened vulnerability to extreme poverty and malnutrition, alongside the growing risk of being trafficked into China as forced labor or brides.

Photographer – Hkun Li

Kachin photojournalist Hkun Li has spent over 15 years documenting conflict and human rights issues in northern Myanmar. What began as a childhood passion for landscape photography at age 15 transformed into a vital documentary mission when war erupted between the Kachin Independence Army and the Myanmar military in 2011.

In the wake of the 2021 military coup, independent journalism in Myanmar has become highly perilous. Hkun Li acknowledges that severe security risks and a lack of freedom frequently force him to leave vital human rights stories unshot. Yet, despite the dangers, his commitment to visual storytelling remains unshaken. He splits his time between risk-heavy documentary reporting and commercial wedding photography.

Hkun Li’s deeply moving work has been exhibited internationally in Myanmar, Thailand, South Korea, and England. His achievements include multiple honors at the Yangon Photo Festival and a finalist nomination for the Rory Peck Awards in 2021.