Insein Township

   A township located in north Rangoon (Yangon), its western border formed by the Hlaing River. An estimated 57 percent of its population of 250,000 are Karen (Kayin), making this the largest concentration of Karens inside Burma's largest city and former capital (the name Insein itself is believed to be of Karen rather than Burmese origin). Because a majority of the resident Karens are Christian, the area is known for its many churches and "Seminary Hill," where three theological schools are located, including the Karen Baptist Theological Seminary. (There were reports in 2005 that the seminaries were being relocated to a remote location.) Insein is also the site of the notorious Insein Jail. In 1949, bitter fighting between Karen National Union forces and central government troops occurred in the township, and Rangoon (Yangon) Institute of Technology on Insein Road was the site of the initial student activism in 1988.

   See also Missionaries, Christian; Tea Shop Incident.