Karen (Kayin)
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Originally from Myanmar/Burma, the Karen (pronounced ‘kuh-reyn’) are one of the major ethnic minorities groups in Thailand and have been in the country for centuries. They are the largest ethnic minority in the country by far.
There is a dearth of extensive evidence on the history of the Karen, both written and oral. However, that the Karen have ancient roots is unquestionable.
Population
- 5-7 million (est.) Global, with some 50 – 70,000 refugees having been relocated to the West, comprising a growing diaspora.
- 3.8 million in Myanmar / Burma (7% of population)
- 430,000 (est.) in Thailand
- 101,000 in Mae Hong Son
NB. Population figures are estimates in the absence of up to date / reliable census data.
Native Country / Lands / Territory
The region of South Eastern Myanmar/Burma (Karen State, Kayah State, Shan State), & Northwestern Thailand (Mae Hong Son Province, Chiang Mai Province, Tak Province)
Ancestry / Ethnicity
Mongol, Mongolian ancestors possibly from western China
Earliest Settlements
Since 739BC in what is now Myanmar/Burma.
739BC is quoted by various sources although it’s not clear what evidence there is. It seems the Karen left Mongolia some 3500 years ago and made their way to Turkistan, then Tibet (where they settled for more than 400 years), and then to Yunnan in Southern China (more than 300 years) before heading further south into what is now Myanmar/Burma around 739BC. They called the land they eventually settled in ‘Kaw Lah‘ – meaning the Green Land.
Since +/- 18th Century in Thailand.
Religion
It is estimated that 70% of Karen practice Buddhism, Animism, or a mixture of the two, and around 30% are Christian.
The Karen were for a long time uniformly animist, and although animism plays a central role in family life today it is commonly intertwined with either Theravada Buddhist, or Christian religious practice.
The interplay between Karen religious beliefs and traditional animist beliefs is evident throughout Karen culture, although the Karen themselves do not associate their ethnic identity with a particular religion. (http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/guidestoolkits/ethnographicguides/burma/chapters/chapter2.pdf)
In Karen animist belief the body contains 37 spirits known as ‘kla’. The spirits enter the body at birth and leave the body at the point of death. When an individual is ill then this signifies an absence of a particular kla spirit, if there is some ongoing chronic illness however, including mental illness, then it is thought that an important kla spirit has left the body.
Another interesting point to note on religion is that the introduction of Christianity in the early 18th Century brought literacy in both Burmese and English to converts, and these formally education Karen went on to occupy the majority of high ranking positions in the community, with some going on to lead the Karen independence movement.
Subgroups
At least 20
The pan-Karen group
The pan-Karen group is divided into three general families. How to delineate the Karen subgroups is the subject of debate – some people use the linguistic criteria, some use geographical area and some even use the colour of the clothing as the major identifier. Although the latter is an erroneous method of identification it is probably the most common. Below is a summary …
- S’gaw Karen / Northern
AKA ‘White Karen’. The largest subgroup and are referred to as the ‘Bar Htee’ – Father Side.
– Dialect: S’gaw (S’gaw speakers are more likely to also speak Burmese)
- Pwo Karen / Southern
AKA Karen, or ‘Black Karen’. Known amongst the Karen as ‘Mo Tike’ – Mother Side.
– Dialect: Pwo (Pwo speakers are also likely to speak S’gaw, but not necessarily the other way around, Pwo Karen are also more likely to speak Burmese).
- Central
Karenni, or ‘Red Karen’
– Dialect: Pa-o
Language
Karen (Sino-Tibetan langauge family)
4 dialects: S’gaw, Eastern Pwo, Western Pwo, Pa-o
Farming
Nearly 70% of Karen participate in subsistence farming. The Karen are well known for their beautifully sculpted paddy fields and have two methods of growing rice. Those who inhabit the higher altitudes cultivate so-called ‘hill rice‘ in dry fields using land cleared by the swidden / slash-and-burn method, and live in villages in clearings in the forest. Those who live close to rivers grow ‘wet rice‘ in water-logged paddies.
The Karen people can be described as friendly, quiet, and cheerful. As is common in many traditional (as opposed to modern) Asian / Buddhist communities the Karen hold simple living, humbleness, an unassuming nature, and non-confrontational attitude in high regard. Directness is considered rude, and many Karen find aspects of Western expression, such as directness, loud speech, and emphatic body language, uncomfortable. For Karen people, behaviours, attitudes and practices that reinforce community values and cultural identity is considered more important than that of individual opinion or needs.
Mae Hong Son Loop 