Karen Sub-groups
The Karen form the largest of Thailand’s six ethnic minority groups; their population numbering roughly 1.1 million. They divide themselves into two groups; Sgaw Karen and Pwo Karen. Out of the two groups, the Pwo make up only 12% of the entire Karen population.
Distribution
The Karen live in both Burma and Thailand. Traditionally a nomadic people, it is thought that they may have migrated South-west from Tibet to Burma, only later settling in the highlands of Thailand. The Karen in Thailand live mainly in the north-western provinces of Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Tak and Kanchanaburi.
Language
Linguistically, Pwo Karen belongs to the Tibeto-Karen branch of the Sino-Tibetan family. Although Pwo and Sgaw speak different dialects, they can generally understand each other. Sgaw Karen is spoken by the majority of the Karen People.
Livelihood
The Pwo Karen traditionally make a living through slash-and-burn agriculture, growing rice and other vegetables on the steep mountain-slopes. They also raise chickens and pigs to feed their families. While opium is a large cash crop amongst other minority groups in Thailand, its cultivation and use has never been part of Karen culture.
Religion
The Karen are traditionally animist, providing them with pragmatic solutions to problems and a world-view that encourages an outlook which is holistic and acknowledges the inter-connectedness of all life. The most important spirit is the “Lord of Land and Water” who controls the productivity of the land and calls upon the rice spirit to grow.
Out of the two sub-groups, it is the Pwo who have been most reluctant to make contact with Thai and other ethnic groups. The Sgaw have long had dealings with Thai lowlanders, but the Pwo have chosen to remain as they have for centuries; staying in their mountain-top villages where kinship ties are strong. While many Sgaw Karen have converted to Christianity, the Pwo remain largely animist, often incorporating aspects of Thai Buddhism as they see fit.
