Myanmar people, Burmese and ethnicities

between the central government and the different conflict groups came to an end around a decade ago. The only left who demand their own independent state are the Karen and some parts of Shan and Kachin. This two groups get support in various form from the USA and other countries which took immigrants from this area.

Now some history

Of these the Burmese are beyond comparison the most numerous. It is the idiosyncrasy that gives its fascination with its color, its luxury, its beauty, and its world.

One them are the Mon

of the southern half of the country, not totally absorbed into. About a million of them represent a ethnic group whose civilization once extended from the Assam hills to Annam. Broadly speaking they are now indistinguishable except as to language. People who know them well can however distinguish between them, Burmese people picture. Of kin with the Mon, but separated from them by a wide space of country, are the Palaung, the men wear the Shan dress, the women a picturesque costume of

their own, which comprises a hood, coat, and skirt, with leggings of cloth.

The Karen,

far more numerous and more powerful than the Palaung, owe their regeneration to the British. Borne down by the dominant Burmese, they must have been gradually annihilated, or at best reduced to the least hospitable portions of the country.

The Pax Britannica has given them political freedom, and Christianity, which they have adopted en mane, has given them self-respect and an impetus towards civilization. In the modern history of Christianity there is no more interesting episode than the conversion of

The Shan people

with his wide trousers and flapping hat, his instinct for trade and his considerable civilization is a much more notable person. Shan from South-western China came into today Myanmar about two thousand years ago. Its migration was hastened by the pressure of the Chinese behind, and as this pressure increased they spread from the valley of the Shweli river, its first home in Burma, southwards to today Thailand and eastward to Tonguing, and north and west till it reached the Brahmaputra and founded the Ahom kingdom of Assam. The Shan are now found in Burma, in the Shan States and far down the eastern peninsula to Mergui or Myeik. In the north they spread over the whole of the upper territories of the Irrawaddy from Myitkyina to the Third Defile; and along the

Of the Chin

who lie upon the mountains which separate central Myanmar from Arakan and Assam there are two great divisions the Northern and the Southern. Of these the Southern Chin, living as they do upon the narrowest portion of their country, are of the least consequence.

They have yielded most to the pressure of the Burmese races on each side of them and they are a sparse and disorganized people.

Chin have a wider territory, known administratively as " The Chin Hills." It consists of a much broken and contorted mass of mountains intersected by deep valleys and it is utterly devoid of plains and tablelands.

The Northern Chin have a strong tribal organization and time has developed in each of their tribes a separate idiosyncrasy. They are of interest because he reveals the material out of which Buddhism and civilization between them have evolved the Burmese.

The Kayahs

are natives of Kayah State, which is between Shan State to the north, Thailand to the east, and Karen State to the south. Covering an area of over 7200 square kilometer, this is geographically the southernmost part of the Shan plateau, with mountain ranges, ravines, depressions and gorges.

From north, the Thanlywin (Salween) River comes into Papun District. To the east of the Thanlywin River is the Loilem mountain range forming a natural boundary to Thailand. Timber is the main product of that area. The land on the east bank of Thanlywin River is covered with dense forests, partially of valuable high quality teak. Other areas have other hardwood such as iron wood plus pine trees and more.

They mine tin, wolfram, iron ore and more, best known are Mawchi Mines. There are plenty of reads, but not in good conditions to have a look around even into remote corners. The area is very similar to Thailand’s Kanchanaburi district.

The Kayahs form the majority in the State. Ethnic minorities include Gay-hko, Gay-bah, Yinn-tale, Pa-ku-kayin, Shan, Pa-oh, Padaung, or Kayan, and Innthas natives of Inle lake. Of them, Padaungs are known for some of their women with elongated necks. Known to foreign tourists as "Giraffe Women of Myanmar", such Padaung women put solid brass rings round their necks of different in size.

To non Kayahs outside the State, they used to be known as Kayinnis (Red Kayins), partly because their dialect is somewhat akin to those of the Kayins in the neighbouring Kayin State and partly because the Kayahs by tradition wear dresses dyed with laced red coloring matter. They however, have always called themselves "Kayah" or "Kayahli" ("Kaye," in their dialect means "human" and "Ii" means "red", red human)

The Kayahs believe to be the descendants of Kinnara (Mythical bird with humanhead and torso) that inhabited in Ngwe-taung-pyi (Silver Mountain Country). The Kayah State's Ba-loo-chaung River rises in the Southern Shan State's Inle Lake Lake noted for its leg-rowers, and enters the Kayah State from northwest, passes Loikaw, the capital of the Kayah State and continues down south until it disappears underground to flow into Pun-chaung River, which course down Kautarwaddy and later into the Thanlywin River. Now, to the west of Ba-loo-chaung River, there is a high mountain range with a 5,000 ft high mountain top called Lwe-nun-hpa (meaning "Princess Mountain"). It is believed that Ngwe-taung-pyi (Silver Mountain Country) lies somewhere around there. The Kayahs hold these mountains in great veneration, and pray for the return to their Ngwe-taungpyi—the "Land of Kinnard and Kinarri. The Knnara is the emblem of Kayah State which figures it in the State Flag. Also, it is a tradition to turn the faces of their dead towards Ngwe-taung-pyi.

Customs and traditions, while they have their fair share of Buddhists and Roman Catholics amongst them, there are still those who cling to their customs and traditions like nat spirit propitiation, feasting dancing and exchange of gifts on important occasions such as birth, engagement, wedding and funeral.

Clothes and costumes, formal wear for Kayah male consists of red turban buttoned-up jacket and dark baggy trousers. A Kayah female's formal wear includes a red headdress, red short-sleeved blouse, chest- and back-covering ornaments of silver trinkets and chains lung round the neck and shoulders, red cloak, block and white waistband with one end dropped down front and a short brown-red nether garment.

Minority ethnic groups in the Kayah State are fond of throwing housewarming party. For example, the time after harvesting for Padaungs or Kayans, is the time for house building in which every relative or friend will lend a helping hand. As soon as construction of a new house is completed, the house-owner will have a housewarming party, feeding and giving drinks to all friends and relatives. There is music and sing round a bon fire. The party's biggest attraction is the young boy's and girl's group dance, in which dancers step between shifting bamboo pots timed to music.
The Ma-nu ma-naw ethnic group also loves to hold housewarming party. In it, there is dancing and singing, and the Hpa-zi (Ceremonial bronze drum) placed in a prominent place. There's group dancing but they don't dance stepping between shifting bamboo poles like the Padaungs do. And dancing partners are of the same sex. Boys and girls will sing together—not in unison but in a reciprocal way.

Members of the Pa-ye ethnic group, by tradition, hold housewarming party but in their case, their party is held not one night but seven nights!

The Gay-hkos also throw housewarming parties. They have many dance items including stepping-between shifting-bamboo-poles dance, shield dance and Tay-la-doe dance. One interesting feature of the Gay-hko house warning party is that the party-giver is not allowed to do a thing about cooking food or brewing Hkaungye for the party but his friends and relatives do all the cooking and brewing.

The Kayahs, by tradition, celebrate two festivals a year, namely the Ku-Atoe-po (meaning "Flagstaff ") Festival held in April and Paw-mi or Di-ku Festival (Glutinous rice cooked wrapped in leaves Festival) held in August. But the festival celebrated by all the ethnic groups in the State is the Kalu (meaning Ceremonial drum) Festival held yearly in April since 1951.

Kayan or Padaung

are some of the most interesting people in terms of appearance are the a indigenous tribe from eastern Myanmar. Famous for the "long neck" women and girls with brass spirals around their neck, arms and legs. Some of them run away to Mae Hong Son, from the continuous fighting between the military and insurgent groups at that area.

Today they earn a living by posing for tourist who come in by large numbers to see this unique brass fashion. They say they wear the brass spirals and rings to remember their mythical ancestors, the Naga, a mythical snake.

Pictures tell more. are real oriental people by any means. Soft, cute and pretty, most of them in the rural areas must already work since childhood and the work can be quite hard as seen at the picture left side. But that's the unfortunately the same elsewhere elsewhere in the world, they should go to school not to work.

Different Ethnic Groups of Burmese People