Reservation as bait for tourists

Long-necked Karen tribe is one of the unique attractions of Thailand. Using special neck rings women of the tribe significantly increasing the length of her neck. But how these people live, have become a rarity for thousands of tourists?

He lives in the mountains of northern Thailand's long-necked Karen tribe. It is known that the women of the tribe to the age of five are starting to wear around his neck a special ring in the future for almost all life on a regular basis to increase the height of this unusual "neck band". By adulthood their necks are the longest in the world (over 20 cm) and are considered by local standard of beauty.






Karen - a group of peoples who lived for centuries in the south and southeast of Burma (aka Myanmar). Karen from Burma and penetrated into Thailand, fleeing the military junta and disorderly poverty. Thai authorities have allocated a place in the north of the country, where thousands of members of settled ethnic Karen and its many offshoots. Women are one of these branches, peoples' padung "(do they call themselves" Kayan "), due to their long necks quickly became a huge hit northern Thailand tourism.



Effect incredible neck does not occur, and not only as the increase of the length of the neck. Under considerable weight "collar", which is made from copper or brass wire that women wear all my life, significantly lowered the bones of the shoulder girdle. What further enhances the image, especially in adult women already.



The kids.



Is it good to live in the modern world amazing these people?

The history of these, charming in general, girls sad. They - a refugee. Also, like all their compatriots. They have no documents. They are not allowed to leave the reservation. They live and raise their neck on a limited patch of land of its "zoo", and the only change will come, if the authorities want to move them to another snout - close to the popular resort. Karen villages rebuilt by the Government of Thailand is actually like scenery, with the only difference that Karen has to live a full life in them. Light "straw" houses whose photos in detail, I do not accidentally brought at the beginning of the story, though, and are traditional to the Karen - and basically look is appropriate in a country where year-round summer - however, even in the rather poor native Thai village built all- still more thoroughly.

"Management" Karen settlements fully engaged the Thai authorities, no government had no migrants. Special patrols controlled and converted-point-register all residents, so no one tried to escape in search of work beyond the allocated land (as it is technically possible, because not everyone Karen long neck - women only very small nationalities padung, and in general, reservations in Thailand are tens of thousands of migrant Karen). Women themselves with rings around their necks get the money, of course, more than the average peasant. But revenues from the tourist attraction, and the sale of souvenirs can not feed everyone. Tourist business individual small nation in fact is not so much a source of profit, but rather to guarantee that not thrown out of the country. Karen prokarmlivayut themselves to traditional agriculture, bred cattle and buffalo. The average wage in the region is considered to be farmers (in terms of our money) for about $ 100 a few days of hard work in the fields.



But people are basically satisfied and pacified - there is no war there, and that's good.