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[8] "Padaung" means "long neck" in the Shan anguage. [11] It is believed this policy was linked to their economic importance to the area. Although most tribal refugees from Burma's frontier war are unwelcome in Thailand, two women of the Padaung tribal group who sought refuge have been encouraged to stay on - as tourist attractions. Since World War II, as the Padaung have become less isolated from neighboring Karen and Karenni, the neck spiraling process has been on the wane. They also extend the necks of the women, making them very long. The result was generally a disquieting encounter between embarrassed tourists and sullen Padaungs. The weight and pressure of the leg spirals can make walking slow and stiff, and the Padaung women have to contend with the challenges of steep mountain rice fields and ladders leading to their stilt-supported houses. The other two are her grandmother and grand aunt. She said: I want to keep my peoples traditions but we are suffering because of these rings. [4][5] The rings are usually made of copper or brass, usually stacked in multiples of 3. Thai threats went unheeded. Some foreigners just came to complain that some women were not wearing their costumes." +++, After a dinner of chicken curry, raw pork and a jungle delicacy identified as minced mole, I asked our hostess if she felt forced to wear the costume because of visiting foreigners. neck stretching In body modifications and mutilations: The torso The Padaung women of Myanmar were famous for stretching their necksby means of coiled brass neck ringsto a length of about 15 inches (38 cm), pushing down the collarbone, compressing the rib cage, and pulling up about four thoracic vertebrae into the neck. The neck rings however, may very well become extinct within a generation or two as younger Padaung women are beginning to refuse to fit the rings around their childrens necks. [9] The coils might be meant to protect from tiger bites, perhaps literally, but probably symbolically.[10]. +++, "I am part of a new generation, and I do not like it. The government of Myanmar began discouraging neck rings as it struggled to appear more modern to the developed world. The article on the Kayan people states that this is "nonsense", and gives examples of accounts of when the rings are removed. It didn't look like a village at all. The tour groups would usually stop at a Karenni village for a short talk by an English-speaking Karenni officer about the political and military situation of Kayah State, and then would proceed upriver to the Padaung settlement. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Padaung or Kayan Lahwi or Long Necked Karen are a subgroup of the Kayan, a mix of Lawi, Kayan and several other tribes. 1973 Peoples of the Earth: Southeast Asia. +++, Rebellion is brewing in the so-called human zoos where the long-necked women live as virtual prisoners. Wearing them isnt always an easy task, though. All the women and girls tried to raise extra money by selling trinkets or charging money to be photographed. One 12-year-old girl told the New York Times she started wearing the coils when she was six and had 16 around her neck that cost $160. Questions or comments, e-mail ajhays98@yahoo.com, Ethnic Minorities - Hill Tribes from the Golden Triangle. The custom is dying out in traditional Pandaung villages in Myanmar, where people are so poor they prefer spend their hard earned money on rice rather than brass, but it is gaining new convert along the Thai border. Padaung women has always been punished by the removal of the rings, a fate almost literally, worse than death. "He is very worried that visitors will stop coming," my guide, who served as my interpreter, told me as we left and headed to our own hut. "I don't care about tourists," Naheng said. Attacks by the Burmese Army on valley dwellers suspected of aiding the rebels forced many into the mountains, and raids on mountain villages pushed fleeing tribespeople across the Salween River, closer and closer to the Thai border. These heavy coils can weigh as much as 11 pounds (5kg). A symbol of wealth, position and beauty, the coils can stretch their necks over a foot and weigh over 20 pounds According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world record for longest neck 40 centimeters (15 inches) belonged to a Padaung woman. Many cultures and periods have made neck rings, with both males and females wearing them at various times. The largest is Huay Pu Keng, on the Pai river, close to the Thai Myanmar border. Cultural Survival E-Newsletter - News and Updates, Information on conferences, meetings and global events pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, 14-1 Breaking Out of the Tourist Trap Part 1. It has been said that many of the girls and women enjoy having their coils changed because it is the only opportunity they have to see that area of their bodies uncovered. That means that the expression "Padaung neck rings" is correct. These severe decorations express the Padaung womens own concept of beauty and social ranking but there are other theories concerning the origins ofthese rings. The length of the coil is gradually increased to as much as twenty turns. Among the students from Kayah State in the refugee camp is a young Padaung man who has reportedly won a scholarship to Cambridge University and obtained the travel documents necessary to get there. A 2020 estimate puts the population at approximately 180,000. They were scheduled to appear at a "Northern Provinces Cultural Relations and Promotions Fair" to be held in Mae Hong Son in April. Most women prefer to wear the rings constantly because the skin underneath is often bruised and discolored. The legend tells that if you remove these rings, they're going to die. Trekkers intruded on and disrupted tribal life, encouraged opium abuse, and harassed tribal women. Something of a tourist craze followed, and the Karenni rebels acceded to the demand by foreigners to see the Padaung women. This political cartoon reveals the degree to which the "giraffe-necked woman" had become a well-known icon in the U.S. Three Burmese women members of a circus play cards as they wear the brass neck and leg rings traditionally worn by Padaung women since childhood and which cannot be removed, London, January 4, 1935. They don't speak any English so come prepared with some game or activity to keep them amused. Their increased accessibility led to tour bus visits and features such as a board painted with a picture of a Padaung woman that had the face cut out so tourists could have their picture taken in its place. When the rings push down enough, they can actually cause the position of the rib cage to shift, as welltypically, wearing the rings will move the rib cage and the collarbones approximately 45 degrees below where they normally sit in the body. [1], Padaung (Kayan Lahwi) women of the Kayan people begin to wear neck coils from as young as age two. Richard Lloyd Parry wrote in The Times: As many as ten thousand tourists visit Nai Soi every year to see about 50 long-neck women and girls who pose for photographs and sell postcards, bracelets and souvenirs. It depends whether these women are coerced, says National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis. In The Hardy Padaungs (1967) Khin Maung Nyunt, one of the first authors to use the term "Kayan", says that the Padaung prefer to be called Kayan. In 1985, a Padaung man named Moli brought three Padaung women, in their twenties and thirties and wearing the traditional neck spirals, from a contested area in the war zone near Loikaw to the relative security of the Karenni base. But after pausing, she added: "I would much rather be here than in Burma." Copyright 2023 Solid Ventures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Padaung (Yan Pa Doung) is a Shan term for the Kayan Lahwi (the group in which women wear the brass neck rings). "If you do not wear the rings, your soul will get ill and you can die." the Padaung women and their children could stay, however. The price we pay for presents under a tree. Another says the rings protected children from being killed by tigers, which tend to attack at the neck. One woman even discovered that mold had been growing on the area of her neck hidden under the rings, and she developed permanent scars from wearing them. They did needlework and studiously ignored the fairgrounds who bought tickets to enter the enclosure and observe them. One of the ways they planned to do this was by eliminating what they considered to be primitive aspects of the culture, including neck elongation. If you are the copyright owner and would like this content removed from factsanddetails.com, please contact me. Then I saw the pictures of the long-necked tribes in Thailand and Burma in National Geographic and I became fascinated with them.. But in the Nation photograph, this woman, this refugee, has at last allowed herself to give a distinctly hostile glare. After X-raying several long-necked women in Rangoon he discovered that the neck was not expanding. One woman told the New York Times, It can be a bit boring and hot and it hurts when you first put it onWhen you take off the brass youre a little dizzy, and for one or two minutes you shouldnt walk. The coils, which are typically made of brass, weigh around four-and-a-half pounds to start with, and then more coils are added over time. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. [Source: Amit R. Paley, Washington Post, August 23, 2009]. With the takeover of Burma by General Ne Win's military dictatorship in 1962, however, insurgency flared in Kayah State, and raids by mountain-based Karenni rebels caused Loikaw and its environs to be closed to tourism. "We have to stay with the middleman," Mamombee said. Were not necessarily talking about achieving it with surgical cosmetic procedures, thoughwere talking about the practice of lengthening the neck with rings. The Kayan residents in Mae Hong Son Province in Northern Thailand refer to themselves as Kayan and object to being called Padaung. Once in place, the neck spirals are rarely, if ever, removed. Most of Chiangmai's trekking tour agencies displayed the women's pictures in front of their offices to attract tourists. Follow these helpful tips to provide the best care for your houseplants. As a result, the Burmese troops have been able to occupy the Karenni base instead of the usual burn-and-retreat strategy. ==, Zember, whose hand darts constantly to her bare neck, admits that taking off the rings was a difficult decision. Most tourist s see the long-necked women in Sompron village (about three miles south of the center of town), where ten long-necked women and girls live in small huts set up for them by a travel agency. Im glad when the tourist come because then we can make money.. In southeast Asia, historians have been able to date the practice of using neck rings all the way back to the 11th century. In present times, the annual Kay Htein Bo festival is always accompanied by a reading of the chicken bones to predict the year ahead. Yes, people are being more reckless on the road, and no, youre not wrong for noticing. Yes, their necks clearly will look longer after wearing them for some time, but its not a result of their neck bones somehow stretching outits because the weight and pressure of the coils on their collarbones pushes them down. This seems to have be a myth. All products featured on Urbo.com are independently selected by our editors. Bitter arguments exploded between young and old generations, the Thai businessmen who run the camps were furious and worried, and a new role model was born for a generation of disgruntled women. [5] About 600 Kayan reside in the three villages open to tourists in Mae Hong Sorn, or in the Ban Mai Nai Soy refugee camp. Most agree it is a form of adornment and may have been a way of saving and showing off family wealth. Another says that it was to protect women from being taken by men of rival tribes by giving them a less-appealing look. These days you often women not wearing their coils and looks as if their neck is no danger of suddenly collapsing. As Padaung custom dictates, she wears heavy brass rings on her neck, arms and legs. [13][15] This festival is held to venerate the eternal god and creator messengers, to give thanks for blessings during the year, to appeal for forgiveness, and pray for rain. The women told the local Karenni villagers that they would not continue the neck spiraling custom with their daughters - possibly influenced by Christian Karennis' opposition to the practice. In late 2008, most of the young women who entered the refugee camp removed their rings. Nick Meo wrote in The Times: It began when Zember, 21, decided to cast off the brass rings. Some Padaung men have responded by joining the Karenni rebel army. Removal is said to have been used as a punishment for adultery; unbraced, the woman's neck would flop over and she would suffocate. The neck was carefully smeared with a salve and massage for several hours, after which a priest would fit small cushions under the first ring-usually made of bronze to prevent soreness. The women settled in at the rebel army base, staying with Padaung men who were in the Karenni army. When the news came out local business was outraged, the police were summoned and the Long Neck fugitives were brought back under arrest. The women were as breathtaking as I imagined. [Source: Amit R. Paley, Washington Post, August 23, 2009 +++], Describing a trek that climaxed with a trip to a Padaung village Amit R. Paley wrote in the Washington Post, In the morning I scrambled up on an elephant for an hour-long ride that left me sore all over (pachyderms, in case you were wondering, are not ergonomically designed) and a hour-long trip down the Ping River on a bamboo raft precariously held together by strips of rubber tire (I thought all was lost when the raft guide fell into the water after we bumped over some nasty rapids, but he recovered and got us to shore). Because long necked women can't lean their head's back, they drink from straws. Most of that payment was then kicked back to the Thai authorities by the Karenni. Having an elongated neck has been a standard of beauty for centuries, and its a goal some of todays women still strive for. The chief of the village, a 52-year-old named Nanta Asung, told me that Thaijun was the only woman in the village who did not wear traditional dress and that her choice was unacceptable. The Padaung women meant an increase in the price of any tour that visited them, and one budget traveler was heard to remark, "I'm not going to see them, I've heard it's a bit of a rip-off-their necks aren't really all that long. Of the two most notable types, one is the torc, an often heavy and valuable ornament normally open at the throat. [5], Learn how and when to remove this template message, Karenni National People's Liberation Front (KNPLF), Thai Burma Border Consortium / A brief history of the Thailand Burma border situation, Burmese Border Consortium Relief programme: January to June 2003, BBC news / Burmese women in Thai 'human zoo', "The Dragon Mothers Polish their Metal Coils by Edith Mirante - Guernica / A Magazine of Art & Politics", French Language page with introduction, notes and bibliography of Kayah, Kayan, Karenni et Yang Daeng by Jean-Marc Rastorfer, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kayan_people_(Myanmar)&oldid=1150348388, This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 17:03. Many women have removed the rings for medical examinations. In fact this has led latterly to their being brought down to Durbars for viceroys and distinguished visitors to look at." The young mans family have to provide a dowry to seal the contract. The spiral may reach to a foot in height and weigh 20 pounds; this gives the illusion of a stretched neck, but the actual effect is that of pushing down the collarbones and rib cage to distort the chest and slope the shoulders. However, many women both young and old are more frequently making the decision to remove their rings, despite social repercussions. Soon thereafter, the Karenni base was attacked and temporarily occupied by Burmese troops. Contrary to what guides tell tourists, her head did not collapse on atrophied muscles; but mutiny by the most photographed woman in Nasoi Kayan Tayar village has provoked spectacular results. In 2006, some of the younger women in Mae Hong Son started to remove their rings, either to give them the opportunity to continue their education or in protest against the exploitation of their culture and the restrictions that came with it. The Kayan are a sub-group of Red Karen (Karenni people), Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar (Burma). No one can force me to wear the coils, but my friends think they are pretty with the rings around their necks and they also get paid. In 2007, Lloyd wrote, two Kayan moved to a rival tourist attraction near Chiang Mai, where they were paid more than twice as well. On the other hand, many of them appeared to prefer living in virtual confinement as long as they are paid and safe. Many mothers who currently wear the rings have decided not to continue the practice on their daughters. Kayan Gebar, Kayan Kakhi and, sometimes, Bwe people (Kayaw). A few journalists ventured there to cover the frontier war, including a French photographer who published photographs of "les femmes girafes" in European magazines. Mu Tu is one of the few women who knows how to . [13] It includes the belief that the Kayan people are the result of a union between a female dragon and a male human/angel hybrid.[14]. Marriages with in-laws or conflicting clans who have sworn not to marry for several generations is forbidden. That night an Australian family was paying $15 to sleep in his hut. [3] Among the refugee camps set up there was a Long Neck section, which became a tourist site, self-sufficient on tourist revenue and not needing financial assistance.[4]. Houses stood in small, neat squares made of woven and split bamboo with palm leaf roofs. Asked how it feels to be stared at one told the New York Times, At first I felt frightened. According to what they told me, their situation beats the alternative of living in a repressive country plagued by abject poverty and hunger. FEIN 23-7182593. There have even been reports that some of the Padaung are prisoners held captive in the villages by businessmen. They are paid $20 to $60 a month from the tour company that brings tourists to see them, plus the money they get from tips and selling T-shirts, postcards and souvenirs. Chiangmai's more "deluxe" tour agencies began offering a "Special Tour to Burma," which included a boat ride on the Pai River to view the Padaung women at the Karenni base. For Thailands Padaung women, the choice is very narrow. Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities self-determination, cultures and political resilience, since 1972. Thai authorities actually "negotiated" to keep them in Thailand, while repatriating other tribespeople to the Burma war zone. They also use dreams to make predictions. The Karennis protested that the Padaung women were not "animals in a zoo," but the Thais threatened to shut down the Karenni black market trade, and the women were brought to the fairgrounds. After removing the rings, women report discomfort that fades after about three days. ", In February 1989, following heavy fighting between Karenni rebels and the Burmese Army, which sent Karenni civilians over the border to Thailand in large numbers, Mae Hong Son's assistant governor, Somprath Saowapaiboon, announced that the Karenni refugees would be repatriated - by force if necessary - in March, along with student dissident refugees who had joined them on the border. How they will keep this dignity and composure in the face of encroaching tourism is a problem shared by all the minority tribes of this region. "We do it to put on a show for the foreigners and tourists!" It is hot and uncomfortable," she said. The rings may appear cumbersome, but the Padaungs believe that beauty lies in a long neck, which is regarded as graceful as a swan's. When a young man has decided upon a girl, his parents will approach her parents with a gift. Our website houses close to five decades of content and publishing. Polygamy is no longer common, and some Padaungs have converted to Christianity. My head aches, and I feel like my neck can't support my head. Girls start wearing their rings early. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted every aspect of our lives, including how people drive. One woman who had worn the rings for over 40 years removed them. Dr. John Keshishian, an American doctor, wondered what was happening anatomically to elongate the women's neck. They are still featured in Mae Hong Son Resort advertisements, on Chiangmai trekking tour posters, and on Thai postcards that claim "the longnecked hill tribe is a minority that lives in the north of Thailand's mountains." Refugee practitioners in Thailand were first accessible to tourists in 1984. In their most distinctive custom, beginning at about five years of age, many Padaung girls have their necks wound with spirals of brass. ==. Though strange to some, its one of the oldest types of body modification in world, and one that many women still follow in a few different parts of the worldsome even here in the United States. We would love to hear from you! +++, The women are not allowed to leave the one-acre village. Land Acknowledgement In a few African and Asian cultures, neck rings are worn usually to create the appearance that the neck has been stretched. 1979 Burma's Long-Necked Women. Their daughters, however, have grown up to question the humiliation of their tribe. Chances are you might be witnessing a multi-level marketing scam in action. As of September 1989, the Burmese Army on the Pai River has been getting its supplies from Thailand - trading for rice with Thai merchants and upgrading their arms with purchases from Thai black market weapons dealers. - 2CC85KB from Alamy's . Download this stock image: Thailand: A Padaung (Long Neck Karen) woman after removing her neck rings for cleaning, village near Mae Hong Son. A study conducted in 2020 by researchers from Otsuma Womens . It has been claimed that rings were first placed around the womens necks in order to make them undesirable to slave traders. She is also adorned with jewelry and ornaments of which the most outstanding and unusual are the thick rings of bronze around her neck, worn right up to beneath her chin. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Privately, some Karenni at the headquarters said that the three had been "kidnapped" by Moli, who saw their potential as a tourist attraction for visitors near the Thai border. It is clearly true that money spent to visit them supports an artificial village from which they essentially cannot leave. The Padaung have no written language and are best known for its long-necked women. Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations, Geneva, Switzerland The Padaung, commonly known as the long-necked women, are refugees from Myanmar (formerly Burma) who are famous for their giraffelike appearance, which is produced by brass rings coiled around their necks. One of the biggest legends surrounding the rings claim that villagers wore them as a defense against tiger attacks, which were most likely to be directed at the neck. Among the other refugees in the makeshift camp are the two padaung women with the brass-spiraled necks. One of the Padaung women had gone back to her home area, but the two that remained were on call for tourist arrivals throughout the day. But with them we can live in Thailand because they want us to stay this way.Our lives are better here. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. None of the Padaung I spoke with wished to return to Burma, but several expressed a desire for more freedom of movement. Concerns have been raised about the continued usage of neck coils and the considerable health hazards they offer by causing vertebrae in the spine to collapse. [6] Today, they reside in Karenni (Kayah) State around Demawso and Loikow, in the southern region of Shan State and in Mandalays Pyinmana and Karens Than Daung township. In this respect Myanmar, particularly the east with its rich and diverse ethnic minorities, is well endowed. We are denied education and the authorities will not let us go abroad, although some of us have been invited to leave for Finland and New Zealand. Without work papers or citizenship, the Kayan have little say over what happens to them. The Padaung women would be offered temporary border passes so that they could stay near the Mae Hong Son Resort "to promote tourism." And if this was the case was it dangerous? The other type is one or more spiral metal coils of many turns, often worn only by married women. Reckless Drivers On The Rise Since The Pandemic Started. Local businesses profit from the tourist traffic, and some Padaung women welcome the modest income. It is usually only removed to be replaced by a new or longer coil. Many of the indigenous groups in Thailand were essentially composed of refugees from Burma who had settled on the Thai side of the border in the years following World War II. We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory. Many foreigners dont like practice and describe the villages as human zoos, but they visit them anyway. In Thailand, the practice has gained popularity in recent years, because it draws tourists who bring revenue to the tribe and to the local businessmen who run the villages and collect an entry fee of 500 to 600 baht per person. Treason among Padaung women has always been punished by removing the rings - a sad fate worse than death. Most have come to Thailand to make money displaying themselves to gawking tourists. This practice was quite limited, however, and for all intents and purposes by the 1980s Padaung women in neck spirals had vanished from the world's sight. "Padaung" is another name for their neck rings. Padaung means long neck., The coils are made from brass and gold alloy. The first brass rings are put on a young Padaung girl's neck at about five years of age in an important rite of passage which - in the case of non-Christian Padaung - is supervised by a village shaman who casts chicken bones to determine an auspicious date. The fair featured booths showing the crafts and customs of various tribal groups in the province, as well as the "Miss Hill Tribe" beauty contest, notorious for the postcontest auction of teenaged contestants to provincial administrators and police.

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