Today over two thousand Palaung-a group of mountain peoples who speak Mon-Khmer-live in a handful of villages north of Chiang Mai in Thailand. They fled here from Burma in the 1980s to escape the fighting between communist insurgents and Burmese army troops. Though granted sanctuary, in the late 1990s many of the Palaung in Thailand found themselves involved in a new conflict over land use in northern Thailand's environmentally degraded highlands.
This is the first book written on the Palaung in Thailand, a compleling collaborative effort by anthropologist Michael Howard and Thaiartist Wattana Wattanapum. Drawing from historical sources and their own field research, they introduce us to the Palaung culture and way of life, telling the story of the Palaung's flight from Burma and settlement in Thailand. Howard's excellent photographs and Wattana's fine drawings enliven the account.
1. Introduction
2. The Palaung in Burma
3. Dress and Identity
4. Flight from Burma
5. Life in Northern Thailand
6. Conflicts in Northern Thailand
7. References
8. Index