Padaung Tribe of Myanmar

Geography of the Karen-Padaung and Padaung tribes The Padaung Tribe is one of the most striking ethnic minorities in Burma (Myanmar), especially in the Southern region. Also called "Long Necks" or referred to as "The Giraffe Tribe," the Padaung are natives of Kayah state. They are amongst the eight ethnic communities in the South-West area of Myanmar. The Padaung are a Mongolian tribe that assimilated into the Karen group and consist of approximately 7,000 individuals. They are also amongst the smallest of the Karen tribes in Thailand, but are the predominant tribe in Burma. Near the Burmese border two villages of Padaung or Karen-Padaung exist. These villages, Doi Mae Ho and Nam Piang Din, are located in the area of Mae Hong Sorn. Although the Doi Mae Ho settlement is relatively large, only nine families live in the village of Nam Piang Din, which is located in Phrae Province in North-Central Thailand. There are also five families of the Karen-Padaung tribe living near Baan Thatonin in the far North of Chiang Mai province. The Karen tribe, also known as Kayah, is one of the largest hill tribe groups in SouthEast Asia. Myanmars' Padaung prefer to be called Kayan people, as Padaung in the Karenic branch of languages sounds similar to "toilet post" and can be considered quite derogatory. Sub-groups of the Karen have only very recently begun to recognize each other as belonging to the same group. There are however, no shared languages or dialects amongst these sub-groups, making them unable to verbally communicate with one another. None of these sub-groups have a collective term for all of the Karen subgroups. Burma, or Myanmar, lays claim to being the ancestral home of the Karen, though some now say that the rich oral history of the Karen may suggest China as their actual ancestral home. At any rate, the traditions of the Padaung or Karen-Padaung are some of the oldest of the peoples in this region of the world. The Padaung have long

fascinated hill-tribe trekking tourists, as they seldom enter the lowlands. Tourists are attracted to the customs, traditions, and certainly appearance of the Padaung and have encroached upon the tribe as a result, resulting in the slow death of their rich culture. Padaung Tribe The Padaung Tribe of Myanmar has rich and diverse ethnic minorities. This tribe is often not seen in the lowlands but when they are, if at all, they tend to congregate around Loikaw near the border with Thailand. This tribe only consists of around 7,000 members; nonetheless they have created huge speculation and an adverse amount of interest toward themselves due to the fascination of their culture and ethnic tendencies. Neck-stretching Padaung women are often named the longneck women of Myanmar. The practice of neck stretching is a strong belief of the Padaung women and this custom is an expression of feminine beauty at its best. The brass coils these women wear are fitted at the age of 5 and as the young girl will grow, more large coils will be added. The more coils that a woman will wear, will judge the respect they receive from other tribe members. Despite the worry of breaking the neck, it is possible for the Padaung women of Myanmar to remove the brass coil rings if they so wish. The Padaung Tribe These Mongolian people have an interesting lifestyle. Aside from the neck stretching and rituals that follow which will lie on the horoscopic findings of the Village Shamans, there are many other beliefs that are followed in an every day lifestyle. River valleys are the destination of choice for this tribe and unlike many other tribes; these tribe people very rarely leave their villages unless they have to. Houses in these

villages will usually stand in small, neat squares with the houses made of bamboo (woven and split) with palm leaf roofs. The shades in front of their houses are occupied with the Padaung people who consistently weave textiles, blankets and tunics on a daily basis. The Padaung men are seen less than the Padaung women. The men are usually tending to crops in the nearby fields, assisting in the living and surviving of a very secretive tribe that is rich in culture. The Padaung custom of "neck stretching" At first glance, the most noticeable custom of the Padaung is "neck stretching" or "neck lengthening." A Padaung girl will traditionally be fitted with her first rings between the ages of five to six years. As this is a custom expressing feminine beauty, Padaung men are not adorned with the rings. The day on which a Padaung girl will receive her first rings is carefully chosen based on horoscopes passed down from the village shaman. Before the rings are fit, the young girl's neck is smeared with a salve and massaged for several hours after which a priest fits small cushions under the first ring to prevent soreness. The cushions are later removed and the process is repeated every two years with the addition of one ring. Neck lengthening can also be done by using a continuous brass coil that will give the appearance of being comprised of individual rings. Some of these coils can weigh up to 22 kg and can lengthen the appearance of the neck by up to 30 cm. Contrary to popular belief, neither individual brass rings nor brass coils actually stretch or deform the neck. In fact, the neck is not altered at all, but gives the illusion of being stretched as the collarbone and upper ribs are compressed. This is a result of the weight of the brass rings or coils pushing down on the collarbone and upper ribs at such an angle that the collarbone appears as if it is part of the neck itself. Although after several years this can severely weaken the neck as the muscles have atrophied, removal of the rings or coils does not pose any real danger to the wearer.

Not only do these rings express the Padaung woman's own concept of beauty, they also are a mark of status. The status of the wearer is based on both the number of rings and on their value and this symbol of status confers respect on the wearer's family. One Padaung woman has been photographed wearing thirty-seven rings around her neck, a number considered to be ideal. There are several theories as to why the women wear these rings aside from beauty and social status. One theory suggests that the rings were first placed around the necks of Padaung women in an attempt to make them less desirable to slave traders. A similar theory says the rings were worm to repel any potential attention to Padaung women by non-Padaung men. There is a legend amongst the Padaung that suggests that the wearing of the rings will protect the wearer from being bit by a tiger, a very real and constant threat in the Padaung's homeland. One more theory states that wearing the brass rings will help a Padaung woman attract a husband. Adultery amongst the Padaung is punishable by removal of these rings, which forces the woman to spend the rest of her life lying down since the muscles of the neck have atrophied over the years due to a lack of support. Needless to say, adultery and divorce rates are extremely low amongst the Padaung. A tribal legend says that the tradition of wearing the brass rings about the neck began as a tribute to the mythological progenitor of the tribe which was believed to have been a beautiful female dragon. The Padaung ritual of "neck stretching" is uniquely their own as none of the other Karen sub-groups have ever practiced it. Lesser known customs of the Padaung and Karen sub-groups Although the wearing of brass rings is the most recognizable physical trait of the Padaung, the tribe has many other, often overlooked customs. Padaung women wear bracelets of silver and brass on their arms and legs, a tradition that is likely to remain intact. These bracelets are worn on the legs from the ankle to the knee, and on the arms from the wrist to the elbow.

The Karen-Padaung in Phrae live in Wangshin District in Maesin Village, Kangjai Village, and Maepong Village where the piercing of ears has earned them the nickname "Big Eared Tribe." The ears of married women are pierced after being wed and a one to four cm piece of elephant tusk is inserted into the opening. As the pieces of tusk become larger and heavier, their weight gradually pulls down on the earlobe and the ear continues to get longer and larger. These ear pieces are worn by the Karen-Padaung for life. Aside from physical adornment, the Karen sub-groups and Karen-Padaung are also masters in the art of elephant training. The making of music also plays an important role in everyday Karen life and women can be seen playing a guitar in almost every village. Marriage, along with the rituals and customs surrounding it, plays an extremely important role in the lives of all Karen, including of course, the Padaung. Unwed Karen women and girls wear white dresses or robes indicating their status as being unwed, while married women wear dresses of red and black and have a few magical words written on the backs of their hands in spiritual languages to ensure their happiness in life. Karen women make their own wedding clothes as well as those of their fiance. Since Karen society is matrilineal and incest is enforced mostly along the maternal lines of the prospective couples' ancestry, successive marriages within matrilineage are strongly discouraged. The role that marriage plays amongst the Karen is of such importance that when an unmarried woman dies, she is buried or cremated in the same clothing a married woman would have worn. The Karen believe that this will thwart off malevolent spirits that may try to prevent the deceased woman from entering into her afterlife. The Karen-Padaung as a threatened culture The traditions of the Padaung unfortunately have begun to slowly die as the tribe is increasingly forced into having contact with the modern world. Many women have already fled from Myanmar's hidden war, becoming refugees in Thailand. Many more continue to flee or are forced into resettlement. Karen rebels continue fighting the

Burmese government in an attempt to gain independence. This hidden war has not only resulted in many casualties on both sides, but has given way to refugee camps on the Myanmar border in Northern Thailand. The women living in these camps make and sell textiles and crafts to passing travelers and tourists drawn to the mystique of the Padaung. The Padaung have only been migrating or fleeing into Thailand in the last 10 years, while other Karen groups settled there approximately one hundred fifty years ago. The Padaung have become a very popular attraction for tourists, exploited to such a degree as to liken village tourism to visiting a human zoo. So disgusted and outraged by this are some tour operators in Thailand that they refuse to bring tourists into the villages. A number of tourists are also boycotting tour operators that bring visitors into Padaung villages. The Karen living in Myanmar continue to suffer oppression and numerous human rights violations including being incarcerated, denial of political representation, denial of citizenship status rights, and being forced not only into resettlement but also into labor. Although some say that the Karen and Karen-Padaung have better lives in Thailand than they had in Myanmar, their current status is yet very shaky and unsure, endangering tribal customs and rituals that are already slowly dying out.

Midterm Requirement in Intercultural/ International Communication

Lira Mariz Orabe BBrC 3-4

Prof. Edna Bernabe