Page 386 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

384 CONTEXTS MyanMar’s ethnic groups
THE LONG-NECKED WOMEN OF THE KAYAN
the long-necked women of the Kayan tribe are without doubt the most startling of all
Myanmar’s ethnic minorities (often referred to as the “padaung” – although this is actually a
shan name and considered perjorative by the Kayan themselves). From the age of around five,
Kayan girls are fitted with heavy brass neck rings, with more being added as they grow,
causing their collarbones to sink. no one knows exactly why the practice began. one theory
claims that it started as a means of making local girls less appealing to raiders from
neighbouring tribes; another legend suggests that the neck rings were designed to protect
against biting tigers – although quite possibly it simply originated as a fashion statement and
marker of cultural identity. the rings are only rarely removed and it’s popularly believed that
the ladies would not be able to support the weight of their own heads without them,
although in fact a number of women have jettisoned their rings safely in recent years and
reported nothing but passing discomfort.
these days, the practice is a moneymaker. a number of long-necked ladies have left their
homes in Kayah state to set themselves up around touristy inle Lake; their houses are free to
visit, but they’re basically all souvenir shops. though the women are undeniably photogenic,
many visitors feel uncomfortable given that the women themselves are treated almost like zoo
animals. Much more rewarding visits to Kayan villages can also be arranged in Loikaw (see
p.268), where you will have the chance to interact with the long-necked ladies in their own
homes using the services of a local interpreter.

Chinese border and around Kengtung. Left largely alone by the British thanks to their
wild reputation (including a fondness for animal sacrifice and headhunting), the Wa
retained considerable autonomy following independence and were often in armed
conflict with the government until the signing of a ceasefire in 1989. Their heartlands
comprise one of the country’s major drug-producing areas (originally opium, more
recently heroin and methamphetamine), with the lucrative trade policed and protected
by the United Wa State Army, formerly one of the world’s largest drug militias, with as
many as ten thousand men under arms.

Naga
Perhaps Myanmar’s most truly remote people, the Naga tribes are spread across
northwestern Myanmar and northeastern India, living mainly – on the Burmese side of
the border – around the Chindwin River and in the hills of western Sagaing Region.
A patchwork of tribes, all speaking different languages, the Naga had little contact with
the outside world under the British colonial era. Headhunting was formerly a popular
pastime, although the practice largely died out following widespread conversion by
Christian missionaries (rumour has it, however, that the practice continued into
modern times). The Naga people are now increasingly “Burmanized”, although some
traditional settlements and customs remain. Naga men traditionally wear few clothes
but many tattoos, while the Naga are also known for their exuberant dancing,
drumming and singing, at its most flamboyant during the Naga New Year celebrations,
when the men also don their extraordinary traditional headdresses.

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