Myanmar
A boy gets his head shaved by a Buddhist monk as he is sent by his family to live the life of a monk for seven days as part of a ritual in Yangon.
Reuters
Source: TIME
Myanmar, Burma
Human rights in Burma are a long-standing concern for the international community and human rights organisations. There is consensus that the military regime in Burma is one of the world’s most repressive and abusive regimes.
Several human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have reported on human rights abuses by the military government.
Image by: Candida Fedeli
Source: Flickr / c_a_n_d_i_d_a
Myanmar
Girl with Thanaka makeup selling fruit.
“Some say it’s not a good idea to go to Myanmar because of the local political regime…I do not agree at all, you must go to Myanmar and meet the nicest people on earth.” - © Eric Lafforgue
Source: Flickr / mytripsmypics
Myanmar/Burma
The Chin are one of the ethnic groups in Myanmar.The Chins are found mainly in western part of Myanmar (the Chin State) and numbered circa 1.5 million. They also live in nearby Indian states of Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur and Assam. Owing to Mizo influence and Baptist missionaries’ intervention, 80%-90% of the population are Christians. However, a sizable minority of the Chin adhere to their traditional tribal beliefs, as well as to Theravada Buddhism. A small group of individuals from Mizoram claimed that they are one of the lost tribes of Israel, that of Bnei Menashe tribe, some have since resettled in that country.
The Chin are one of the large ethnic minority groups in Myanmar. The Chin people are of Tibeto-Burman groups and they probably came to Myanmar, especially the Chindwin valley in the late 9-10 century AD. Most Chin people moved westward and they probably settled in the present Chin State around 1300-1400 AD. The original meaning of “Chin” remains obscure, though scholars have proposed various theories no widely-held consensus has been reached.
There are many tribes among the Chin people such as Daai (the biggest population of southern Chin state), Thai, Tedim (who prefer to call themselves Zomi, as the word “Chin” is not in their own language; note the resemblance to Mizo of the neighbouring Mizoram state in India), Asho, and Cho. Four major tribes of the Chin are Daai, Tedim, Falam, and Hakha (Myanmar). It would be relevant to mention also that they are related to the Kukis of Nagaland, Manipur and Assam. For want of a more acceptable common name, they are usually called the Chin-Kuki-Mizo people, bringing together the three most common names for them, whether given by outsiders or themselves. There are also ten of thousands of Chin people in Mizoram State, India, mainly in the area of the Lai Autonomous District Council, formerly part of Chhimtuipui District, and a sizable population also live in Churachandpur district of Manipur comprising of smaller tribes like the Hmar, Paite, Simte, Zou,Gangte and others. Bawn tribe in Southern Mizoram State and Bangladesh are descendants of the Lai tribe. This Chin/Mizo/Zomi/Kuki people are scattered into three countries: Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India. The Chin speak several Kuki-Chin languages; Ethnologue lists 49 languages in this group, of which 20 contain the word “Chin” in their name.
Source: Flickr / rudiroels
