In-depth interviews with Karen people from Burma, Thailand and USA focused on their identity construction through the medium of art, culture and religion in a post-civil war situation where they have been seeking for peace within themselves and among other ethnic nationalities.
With the pace of globalization, Karen people are finding themselves to be living in an increasingly multipolar world. They are caught between many different interest groups and their own political aspirations. Their history is filled with examples where they have been struggling against other ethnic nationalities for freedom and independence, but lately they have been forced to negotiate with the powers that be for their rights. Karen people are not alone in this struggle, but they have longer history of conflict than many other groups do. It is important to understand how these people see themselves and the world outside them. There are two major reasons why to study Karen people;
1) they are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the Southeast Asia
2) they have been struggling for their ethnic and religious rights along with other minority nationalities in the region for many years.
Karen people, like most other ethnic groups in this part of the world, are struggling to find their own voice and identity. The armed conflict between Karen National Union (KNU) and Burmese military has been going on for about sixty years now. Although KNU have signed a cease-fire agreement with Burmese military, there are still many other armed ethnic groups being being targeted by the government. One of them is Karen women who have been sexually assaulted by Burmese military. There have been many efforts to create social movement among Karen people for their religious and cultural rights. However, it takes time for these changes to happen because there are many Karen people who are still living as refugees along the border areas. It is very difficult for them to return to their homeland because they have been traumatized by violent conflict and they have concerns about their economic opportunities in a place where there is no sign of peace on the horizon. Moreover, conflicting interests between regional powers such as China, India and the United States are creating more challenges for Karen people to find their voices and identities.
Karen people or Kayin People (; ) are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. They live mainly in Karen State, which is located on the Thai border between Kayin (which is the form of Burmese used in Karen State) and Mon States. The population of this group totals about four million, which makes them one of country’s larger ethnic groups.
Karen people are also the largest ethnic group in Burma. Many of them live along border areas with Thailand, while others live across the country (Myanmar)
Karen State is an autonomous region in Myanmar (Burma). It lies between 5° 30′ and 20° north latitude and 93° 46′ and 98° 42′ east longitude. The area is about 65,400 square miles. The present population is around four million, which makes it one of the country’s larger ethnic groups.
Karen State has a diverse geography and climate. It consists mostly of mountains over 3,000 feet in elevation divided by river valleys, hills and some plains areas in the west.
The history of Karen State is very complicated. It has been influenced by different cultures including Shan, Mon and Burman, which have caused the Karen people to face many obstacles in their struggle for identity rights.
The conflict between KNU (Karen National Union) and Burma’s military has been happening for about sixty years now. Although KNU has signed a ceasefire agreement with Burma’s military, there are still many other armed ethnic groups being targeted by the government.
As one of country’s largest ethnic groups, Karen people suffer from war, poverty and religious / cultural restrictions imposed by the military regime in Burma. In this situation, people have been forced to migrate from one place to another in search of freedom and opportunity. In the process, they have changed their identities in many ways along with changes in their social status, economic conditions and political aspirations.
Karen hunting has been practiced for over 10,000 years and can be described as an art for capturingm birds and wild animals by using a bow and arrow, a stone or even a simple stick. It is a popular sport among Karen people.
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What is the difference between Burmese and Karen Hunting?
The terms ‘Burmese’ and ‘Karen’ are not interchangeable. “Karen” is one of the country’s largest ethnic group. The Burmese language is the official language of the country, which is used in schools, colleges and universities across Burma. However, Karen people also have their own dialect named after them. In addition, there are many tribal people in Karen State who speak their own dialects.
Therefore, it is very difficult to be a Karen who speaks Burmese the same as a non-Karen.
In Burma, there are about twenty different ethnic groups that have been denied their own states. For them, the word “Karen” means many things. In order for these people to get their own state, they need to have a clear identity of who they are and what language they speak. That’s why many Karen people don’t want to be called “Karen” by others.
There is another term which can be used to replace “Karen”, and that is Kayin, the same as their name for themselves. This word can also be found in Burma’s history books. It is derived from “Kariang” or “Karayiṇa”.
To answer the question about the difference between Burmese and Karen Hunting, we would like to give you an example. If you went back in time 100 years and were asked who you are, what language do you speak or where do you belong to, I am sure your answer would be a little bit different from today’s answer.
The same is true for the Karen people living along the Thailand – Burma border. When they are asked by others what their nationality or ethnicity is, they call themselves Karen. If you dig deeper, you will find that many of them do not want to be called by this name. They feel that it is a Burmese name and the word “Karen” only draws the line between them and other minorities.
Hunting is the art of tracking, capturing or killing an animal. They look for animals like rabbits, deer and turtles. After that, they will sell them to make money.
Both Burmese and Karen people hunt animals; the only difference is in their job titles. The word “Hunters” can be used by both (Burmese or Karen).
However, Karen people call themselves “Taw-thae”, while Burmese use the word “Myoase” for hunters.
The word “Taw-thae” is the Karen word for hunters in their dialect.
We can’t think of any other difference between Burmese and Karen hunting practices. The only thing we would like to add is that, if you were to ask a Burmese man what his job title was, he might respond by saying that he is a farmer or a construction worker. However, if you were to ask the same question to the Karen people living in the same village, they would not hesitate to say that they are hunters.
Whats the difference between Karen and Karenni Hunting?
The Karenni people of Shan State are also hunters. Our information is that they use traps for hunting, while the Karen of Kayin State hunt by shooting with bows and arrows.
The different kinds of animals hunted in the jungle are listed below.
The names for types of animals may be used differently on both sides of the Burma-Thai border.
- Hawker – It is also called Nyou-thae or Tau-thae, which means Honey Bee. It refers to an animal that takes the honey from the bees nest and eats it.
- Mole – Mole has a thick tail with short legs so it can’t jump over a wall. In Burmese, it is called “Maing-thae” or “Maing-tha-ra”.
- Elephant – The Karen people of Kayin State do not hunt elephants, even though they live in elephant country.
- Frog – There are many frogs in the jungles so the hunters catch them and sell them as a source of food.
- Lizard – The Karen call this animal “Kou-thae” or “Nge-thae”.
- Turtle – Karen hunters hunt and eat turtles. It is called “Geng-tha” by the Karen people in their dialect.
- Deer – The Karen call this animal “Doh-thae”.
- Wild Buffalo – It is called “Tha-taw” by the Karen in their dialect.
Is hunting a tradional Karen practice?
The Karen people usually lived in the plains (khawbawng) and around rivers, so they sometimes hunted animals to eat. But they also used to fish for food like other ethnic groups who live near ponds or lakes.
“Myoase” (hunter) is not only the word used by the Burmese; it is also the original term used by the Karen people. We found this out when we searched in our language materials.
Both Burmese and Karen people are hunters. But if you were to ask which group are more “wild” or are more skilled at hunting animals, we would say that it is the Karen people of Kayin State.
Are the Karen generally more skilled at hunting animals?
No, not really. Hunting is a skill that can be learned by anyone who wants to learn it.
However, some people are just good at certain things. Take for example, the Karen people of Kayin State. They have had more experience living in the jungles because they have been there since ancient times. When you ask which group are better hunters, it is hard to answer this question because each ethnic group has its own skill or special characteristic.
Is there an animal that Karen hunters will never eat?
Yes, Karen people do not cut off any pieces of meat from any animal except deer. If they found anything else, they will just leave it there.
Karen people say that the forest was given to them by God so they don’t take things from God’s forest. But for Burmese hunters, they do not care what animal they eat as long as it is edible. They do not care whether it was something that they gave to God or not.
