Karen Padaung Thailand.

The look plain and unpretentious women scattered Karen Padaung Tribe (Tribe Kayan) will you reply with a strange look, amazed and curious to see how long their necks and imagine how he passes his days with the encumbered amount of metal rings on the neck, feet and ankles their hands. That is what would you feel if you visit the Karen tribe village in Thailand. The reason they wear bracelets that was fairly unique. It was said that they wanted to be like the phoenix.

In Maehongson province north of Bangkok, Thailand, there lived some mountain tribes from Burma or Myanmar. Among the Akha Tribe, Tribe Karen, Lisu tribe and so on. They are a community of tribes who had a background in history and unique culture.

But among the tribes, the Karen tribe is considered the most unique. In the women's neck Karen tribe mounted gold-plated metal bracelet. These bracelets functions to form their necks and legs that are longer, because according to their custom, the longer the female neck then they will be considered increasingly look gorgeous.

The more unique no reason they wore their rings hereditary cultural background as well as the belief that women are from a tribe Karen Bird Phoenix. For the Karen tribe, the phoenix is a female ancestor who paired with the dragon is regarded as ancestors of the men of the tribe.

Heavy iron rings on the neck of adult women up to 5 kg and below the knee anklet each weighing 1 kg. Means that every day they bring a load of 7 kg.

The bracelet began applied since they were 5 years old. Initially only 2-3 stack bracelets, and every 2-3 years pile bracelets plus until they reach the age of 19 years where the rings had been replaced with iron rings made from one long iron stick shaped circular / wrapped around their necks. The bracelet can be removed but the process itself is not easy to release and only made upon marriage, birth and death.

Heavy rings, push the collarbone, shoulder bones and ribs down. Thus automatically neck elongated karen women. The longer, they feel more and more like the Phoenix Bird of their ancestors.

Another function of the rings that are as protective. Back when they were still living in the hill country, they often engage in contact with wild animals such as tigers, bears and so on. Generally, wild animals attacking humans on the neck and throat. For that rings so that serves as a protective for women Karen tribe.

The uniqueness of the Karen tribe used with "excellent" by the Thai tourism industry. They are placed in several villages including, Huay Pu Keng, Shuah Huay Thoh, Kayan Pu Keng and so on. These villages are promoted as one of the unique culture of Thailand. The tourists who visit to see the uniqueness of the Karen tribe charged a fee of $ 10 US.

To help the family income, Karen Tribe woman also sells various kinds of handicrafts typical of the tribe. For example, Karen Tribe woven fabric that is quite popular and photographs showing their daily activities including the release process bracelet neck. While men daily work in the fields from dawn till dusk.

But the uniqueness of the Karen tribe woman not without risk. The women in this tribe mostly live until the age of 45-50 years. Reportedly because of heavy bracelet that reach 7 kg, is believed to have damaged the neck bones as they age. World tourism is often blamed for the recent encouraging the use of the neck ring. Reason tourism industry to do that of course because the Karen tribe is a popular attraction for tourists. That means to provide income that does little for the tourism industry of Thailand.

Tribal Wasted.

Karen tribe and other tribes in Maehongson is inland tribes of Myanmar. They are hill tribes who live in the forests surrounding the Thai-Myanmar border. Original villages in the corners of Myanmar, as well as the provinces of Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai (sometimes moving).
In 1949 the civil war raging forcing them to flee. Karen National Union and the guerrilla group of other minority ethnic groups fighting the government Mynmar. Since the 80s to the present military Mynmar successfully evict residents from 3 thousand villages belonging to the Karen tribe. The tribes were climbing a mountain pass through the border and stay in the province of Maehongson.

This wasted tribe living as refugees without identity in Thailand. Based on the report of UNESCO in 2008, nearly two million people who live in the hill tribes of Thailand did not have identity cards.
It is said, nearly 70 percent of them can not get basic education as other Thai children, and 98 percent could not get a higher education. Thank you for reading this article. Written and posted by Bambang Sunarno.
sunarnobambang86@gmail.com
author:
http://schema.org/Personal.
https://plus.google.com/105319704331231770941.
name: Bambang Sunarno.
http://dynastyc.blogspot.com/2015/01/karen-padaung-thailand.html
DatePublished: January 26, 2015 at 18:06

tags: Karen Padaung Thailand.