Hkamti Township or Khamti Township () is a township in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of Burma (Myanmar). The principal town is Hkamti. As of 2014 the township had a population of 47,658 people and covered an area of . The township is dominated by the Chindwin River and its tributaries as well as thickly forested areas. Nearly half the active working population are employed in agriculture, forestry or fishing. The township is a producer of rice and has gold and jade reserves.
History
The name "Hkamti" means "Place of Gold". According to James George Scott's 1901 Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States, the Hkamti area was ruled by seven "Sawbwas" before the British arrived. Hkamti was bordered to the east and the south by Uyu Township and to the west by Chin country bordering Assam and covered an area of 2576 square miles.
In the 1900s the British established a small rubber plantation with hevea trees at Mepok. It didn't prove successful. In 1914 the British built Fort Hertz in the territory of what was then Hkamti Long. Captain Frank Kingdon-Ward visited it on his travels. Hkamti later became the headquarters of the Myanmar Hills for the 52nd Myanmar Regiment who were controlling the area.
In creating the Naga Self-Administered Zone in 2010, a small portion of Hkamti Township south of the Kundwin Hemu (stream) was transferred to Leshi Township.
At 4am on 9 September 2016, a hand-made bomb was detonated about from Hkamti town. One person was killed, the person who detonated the bomb. Investigation of the area by the authorities found four unexploded mines which failed to detonate which were believed to be due to wet gunpowder. In July 2018, extensive flooding during the summer monsoon saw the village of Thazi evacuated and the people relocated.
Geography
Hkamti Township is situated in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of northwestern Burma. The township is bordered by Nanyun Township to the north, Lahe Township to the northwest, Lay Shi Township to the southwest, Homalin Township to the south, and borders the Kachin State townships of Tanai Township to the northeast and Hpakan Township to the east and southeast.
The township is dominated by the Chindwin River and areas of thick forest. The Nam Tonhtun flows into the Chindwin to the southeast of Hkamti Town after meandering around the village of Aung Myay. The Nam Samun and Nam Saukpa streams flow into the Chindwin to the north and south of the village of Kaunghein respectively. The Nam Kadon flows into the Chindwin near Kadi-thingan in the Seinnan village tract. The Nam Za-wu begins in the hamlet of Sunzo (Sun So) in Saung Lin village tract and enters the Chindwin at the village of Mepok (Mei Poke). The Natyesan Chaung flows into the Chindwin in the south of township near Minsin. Other streams include the Nam Pilin, Nam Sake and the Nam Le.
Administrative divisions
Village tracts and wards
The township is divided administratively into 25 village tracts and 3 wards. According to the 2014 census the population of each is given:
Wards
Hkamti Myo Mar (3233) Paw Maing (3358) Zip Phyu Gone (Zee Hpyu Kone) (4960)
Village tracts
Ah Shey Kauk Taung (1194) Ah Nauk Kauk Taung (575) Aung Myay (1366) Hein Sun (476) Hpaung Saing (723) Hat Ti (327) Hman Pin (2616) Hpaing Lin (263) Kaung Hein (1251) Kha Maung (668) Kin Taw (1408) Kyauk Ywet (363) Laik Khaw (452) Laung Sauk (443) Lin Hpar (1371) Maw Law (304) Mei Poke (255) Min Sin (1789) Nant Hpar (2679) Pa Du Mone (7996) Par Saung (688) Par Yoe (984) Sar Lin (449) Saung Lin (954) Sein Nan (1462) Sin Thay (2611) Taik Ti (1205) Yat Nar (1255)
Villages
Hkamti Township also contains villages such as:
Ainda, Bahumaing, Chawhkam, Gum Ga, Hakon, Hintiu, Hkataw, Hpalamung, Htanghkaw, Janhtang, Kado-maingkun, Kado-thingan, Kadung Ga, Kauktaung-anauk, Kauktaung-ashe, 'Kawai, Kawala, Kawngkau, Kinsagahtawng, Kumteng, Lachau, Lachau Ga, Laisai Ga, Lapauk, Lapyep Ga, Lasaung, Laungtauk, Maingnaung, Mandung, Mangu, Man Pang, Masum Zup, Maung Te, Namhkam, Nammawhku Ga, Namsam, Napang Ga, Naukpe, Ngalang Ga, Ningbau Ga, Pachaung, Pangaw, Ritu Ga, Sabigahtawng, Salem, Saungle, Seinnan, Sekkyu, Shirang, Sinla, Sunzo, Taklang, Tasinngan, Thazi, Uka Ga, Utaw, Wakshang, Yana, Yang-yaw, Yungpaw Ga.
Demographics
Historically the Shan people migrated to the Hkamti area from Mong Kawng, encouraged by the Shan King Sao Hsam Long Hpa. The Tibetan people also migrated as far south as the Hkamti plain. The Khamti ethnic group live in this region of Burma. In the Laung Sauk village tract in the hill forest to the northwest of Hkamti town, the locals speak their own dialect, "lawng-sauk".