Stories tagged with hilltribe
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Hilltribe groups Chiang Rai join the rallies
Hilltribe people around Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Rai are getting involved in the latest political turmoil. The community leaders are warning them to stay away from the protests since, many do not have Thai citizenship.
Chairwoman Rujira Jaijak, speaking for the Mae Salong Nai Tambon Administration Organization, said many of the hilltribe people in Chiang Rai province are not registered Thai nationals.
Jaijak said the organization is worried that the hilltribe people may be exploited for political purposes.
She said political groups have used the political issues to lure the hilltribe members to rallies in exchange for citizenship later on. She also urged hilltribe members to use caution and good judgment during these times.
The Akha Cultural Association stated that at least 1000 hilltribe members from the Chiang Rai area have joined the political rallies. Akha members from the north have traveled to Bangkok to join the masses in red and yellow shirts.
Chiang Rai province has a large population of hilltribe communities that have been fighting for many years to get citizenship in Thailand. They are now being warned against promises that may not be fulfilled.
Posted by: Andrew on 02 Nov 2008, 10:01 -
Missing Long Neck women found
Eleven woman of a Kayan hilltribe group who went missing from their village in northern Thailand several weeks ago have turned up in Sattahip, near the resort town of Pattaya. Often called ‘long neck’ women due to the gold bands they wear that elongate their necks, they are actually a smaller group of ethnic Karen people who have migrated into Thailand from Burma.
The women were found at a replicated village specially built for them by a man who persuaded them to relocate from the Burmese border. The man and all 11 women were arrested by Thai police. The Kayan women are technically aliens and are not allowed to move without notifying the authorities. The man was arrested with transporting the women and helping them avoid arrest.
In his defense, the man argued that his replica Kayan village complete with authentic Kayan long neck women and souvenirs for sale was a major tourism draw for the area. It allowed people to experience the unique Kayan lifestyle without travelling all the way to northern Thailand, where they normally live. He also said that the women were making good money and everyone was happy with the arrangement.
Several media groups, however, reported that the women were being exploited while the village was under construction. A local politician who vehemently denies any involvement in the tourist attraction insists that they are much better off in the themepark than their own native villages.
Posted by: Andrew on 23 Sep 2008, 13:48