A Refugee's Sorrow: Bound body and soul


  • Photographer
    Lai Leng Lam
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Company/Studios
    Lam Jennifer Photography
Story

The Karen hill tribe, also known as the Kayan tribe is commonly referred as the “Long Neck Tribe” due to the brass rings that coil around their necks making it looks like as though the neck has been elongated. In actual fact, these brass rings, sometimes weighs as heavy as 25kgs, presses the collar bones downward and compresses the rib cage rather than the myth that believes it makes the neck longer. These brass rings would be placed on the neck as early as a child reaching the age of five and three coils would be added every three years.

Back in the olden days, Karen villages were under attack by tigers and many villagers were bitten to death. Then came a directive from the priest of the village for enforcement of the brass rings around the neck, the most likely part where a tiger would bite. Some would have brass rings around their calves to prevent snake bites. Of course, there are other versions of the tale that states wearing the brass coils are a form of beauty or even preventing the women from being captured as slaves as it makes them less attractive to other tribes.

The photographed Karen hill tribe resides in the Mae Hong Son province in north Thailand. Originally from Burma (now known as Myanmar) and of Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority, they fled from they own country in the late 1980s and early 1990s by foot, walking pass the forested area and over the border to escape from the conflict of the military regime in Burma. Now, a small number of the Karen tribe lives in a refugee camp near the Burma-Thailand border. They will not no go back to Burma but nor can they get a citizenship in Thailand.

The Karen women are excellent with needlework and weaving. Their main source of income comes from selling their handmade scarfs, made using their traditional method of weaving with a very distinctive pattern. During the day, they were seen sitting at their simple makeshift stalls weaving their goods while the ready-made display of brightly colored scarfs are displayed neatly. Much younger children would play with whatever they could find, including a rock and still be contended while the slighter older children between the age of six to twelve years old would sometimes been seen manning the stalls.

Their hard earned income would be spent on their daily basic necessities. Due to their status, basic necessities are purchased from a supplier that goes to the refugee camp on a pre-scheduled day. They also send money back to their relatives still trapped in Burma as Thailand has stop the influx of refugees into the country. The Karen tribe lives in small wooden houses build on stilts without electricity supply. Despite the less-than-basic living condition, the Karen people are very contended, always wear a warm smile to strangers, not knowing the world outside their refugee camp has more to offer.

The photographer hopes that with these photos being displayed to the world and their story being told on their behalf would help them in achieving a better standard of living and a brighter future for the younger ones.

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