Karen Hill Tribe People - Paduang Tribe

The Karen people have moved into Thailand starting in the 1700's from Burma. It is believed that they originally came from Tibet.


Today and for the past 15 years there are refugee camps on the Thailand-Burma border where Karen who have fled persecution by the Burmese regime have sought refuge. In side of Burma, also called Myanmar, there is populist armed movement for a separate independent Karen state. This conflict has lead to the displacement of many thousands of people.


For many of the displaced Karen refugees they are trapped in the border camps - they can not enter into Thailand and if they return to Burma they face discrimination, prosecution, or worse. They do not have passports, do not have Thai rights and are essentially stateless people. The United Nations and other NGO (non-government organizations) provide some minimum relief to these people.


The Karen make up the largest group of the 6 Hill Tribe peoples in Thailand. There are about 250,000 Karen in Thailand. Only the near recent arrivals from Burma are refugees and in camps. Karens who arrived in earlier times are integrated into Thai society in that they have citizenship, passports, and Thai rights.


The Karen are made up of many different subgroups. Two of the most distinct subgroups are the Paduang and the Kayaw.


The Paduang are known throughout the world for their custom of placing brass coils around the neck of their women. This custom gives the appearance of elongated necks. In reality it is the shoulders of the women that are being depressed by the weight of up to 30 pounds of metal wrapped around their neck that creates the illusion of an elongated neck. Outsiders refer to the Paduang as "Long-Neck", or "Giraffe Women".


Coils are placed around a female's neck commencing when she is 5 or 6 years old. An additional coil is added each year and on special events in her life. Some of the older woman have more than 30 coils around their neck. Often a strip of colorful cloth or a leaf is worn underneath the coils at rubbing points on the skin.

Paduang women also wear brass coils wrapped around their legs - calves and ankles.


The Kayaw subgroup live side by side with the Paduang. The Kayaw people are known throughout the world for their custom of elongating the ear lobes of females. Large diameter hollow cylinders are placed into the ear lobes of female children and adults. Some Kayaw woman wear several heavy metal earrings in each ear to extend their ear lobes.


The Karen people live in elevated bamboo houses elevated above the ground. The roofs of their homes are made out of very large leaves from the nearby forest - based upon the size as well as shape I suspect that they are teak leaves. Beneath their house they keep pigs, chickens, and water buffaloes. The Karen are excellent farmers and unlike their other Hill Tribe neighbors never were heavily involved in opium cultivation. They grow rice, squash, garlic, cabbages, and cotton.


Karen women are very skillful in weaving, sewing and dying fabrics. Until they get married, Karen women wear a white smock that is decorated with applique, and embroidery. After getting married, Karen women wear short white blouses with more extensive decoration and trim along with colorful as well as more intricate patterned sarongs.


The picture above is Freida's mother. If I counted correctly, she has 25 rings of brass around her neck. The rings start of as a long piece of brass much like the coiled copper tubing that you can buy at Home Depot or plumbing supply store. The tubing is then shaped and wrapped by hand around the woman's neck. The shaping and wrapping requires a high degree of skill. There are only a few women in the village who have the skill and experience to perform the work.


Freida is a very photogenic Paduang young woman that I have visited twice - so far. I wrote about her in an earlier blog. The following links will take you to a separate gallery to view more photographs of Freida, Paduang, and Kayaw people.


http://hale-worldphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/7143139_x6iHm/1/458274870_fBKzL

http://hale-worldphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/7005894_2yLWv/1/448509487_2NUTb