LONG-NECK MINORITY GROUP CAUGHT IN REFUGEE AND CITIZENSHIP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHIANG MAI 000076 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF TH BM SUBJECT: LONG-NECK MINORITY GROUP CAUGHT IN REFUGEE AND CITIZENSHIP LIMBO CHIANG MAI 00000076 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary. Northern Thailand's large population of stateless people struggles with complex and ambiguous RTG residency policies, as evidenced by the dilemma of a small group of ethnic Padaung caught between the cracks. In recent months, NGOs have criticized RTG officials for denying a group of 500 Padaung originally from Burma the right to resettle in third countries, a problem that is emblematic for refugees, migrant workers, and ethnic minorities living near the Thai-Burma border. In the Padaung case, NGOs claim local officials want to hold on to tourist revenue derived from the group's exotic "Long Neck" appearance. However, Padaung and other stateless groups face even greater challenges navigating bureaucratic Thai citizenship and refugee policies than they do coping with the tourism industry. End Summary. ¶2. Organizations such as the U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB) lashed out at the RTG this month for denying a group of ethnic Padaung living in Mae Hong Son near the Burma border the chance to resettle in third countries through the office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). NGOs say the Thai tourism industry exploits the "Long Neck" Padaung women, bussing in tourists to visit villages in northern Thailand for quick photo opportunities and marketing the images as part of "Amazing Thailand" tribal life. ¶3. Thai officials counter, however, that this Padaung group is ineligible for resettlement. They note that most Padaung living in Thailand do not have refugee status, which is given only to specific groups fleeing political violence in Burma and not to those seeking greater economic opportunities in Thailand. RTG officials in Mae Hong Son told the Consulate they are consolidating the three Padaung villages frequented by tourists into one site closer to the provincial capital, so as to give the Padaung better access to non-tourism related livelihoods. However, many Padaung and NGO activists are skeptical about this plan, claiming it will further lock villagers into a life trapped in a "human zoo." AN ALMOST LOST TRADITION IS REVIVED FOR TOURISM ¶4. The Padaung, a sub-group of the Karenni people from Burma's Kayah State and sometimes also called Kayan, have literally stuck their necks out to become one of the more memorable images of a visit to northern Thailand. From post cards to magazine ads, tourism agencies promote tours to see Padaung women and their apparently elongated necks. Anthropologists say the custom of placing up to dozens of brass rings around the neck - which actually force the clavicle bone into a lower position so as to give the illusion of a longer neck - dates back hundreds of years, but had nearly disappeared in modern times. ¶5. Decades of conflicts between Burma's military junta and armed ethnic groups led the Padaung to flee to Thailand in significant numbers in the 1990s. Once in Thailand, many Padaung preferred to work in the tourism industry rather than face an uncertain future in a refugee camp. Ambitious businessmen encouraged Padaung women to revive the Long Neck tradition and pose for tourists seeking glimpses of exotic cultures. Hundreds of Padaung took the bait and soon found themselves marketed as a "Thai hill tribe" alongside other non-Thai minority groups mired in citizenship limbo in northern Thailand. NGOs DECRY THE HUMAN ZOO TOURIST ATTRACTION ¶6. According to NGOs and some Karenni activists, RTG authorities have denied Padaung requests to apply for resettlement to third countries, preferring to keep them as tourist-draws in Thailand. They say the RTG will not classify the 500 Padaung villagers as refugees, allow their children to attend Thai schools, or allow adults to seek outside employment. Children instead attend school in nearby Karenni refugee camps. ¶7. Local UNHCR staff say many Padaung registered as refugees several years ago with the RTG. Some entered refugee camps while others ended up in their current settlements, which some local UNHCR staff believe should count as de facto camps. UNHCR staff say Padaung face continued hardships as a result of the tourism industry's exploitation. One local human rights group charges that RTG authorities collude with the Karenni Nationalities People's Liberation Front, an ally of the Burmese government, to traffic Long Neck women from Burma into the tourist villages in Thailand. ¶8. Despite the iconic image of the Long Neck women, many CHIANG MAI 00000076 002.2 OF 002 tourists and tour agencies reject the exploitative marketing of the group. Most English-language guide books, including Lonely Planet, discourage visits to the Long Neck villages and several local tour guides have told ConGen staff that they do not take tourists to these villages. However, other agencies regularly include the Long Neck villages on their tours and dozens of tourists per day pay a small fee to enter the villages and take a quick photo. RTG SAYS IT'S TRYING TO HELP, BUT WON'T ADDRESS CITIZENSHIP ISSUE ¶9. Local officials in Mae Hong Son say they have decided, with input from Ministry of Interior officials in Bangkok, to consolidate the three villages into one site near the provincial capital by the end of April. While some groups suspect the governor and business interests in the local tourism industry of further manipulation, the RTG says the relocation will allow Padaung to diversify their opportunities beyond tourism. RTG officials reject international criticism on the Padaung issue, claiming critics have confused the situation with the ongoing resettlement of non-Long Neck Karenni and Karen refugees. ¶10. The Thai commander of one nearby Karenni refugee camp said the RTG does not classify the Padaung in these villages as refugees. RTG officials believe that many Padaung come to Thailand for reasons other than fleeing fighting in Burma, such as to pursue better economic opportunities, and have voluntarily chosen not to live in refugee camps. But activists charge that the RTG's refusal to grant either refugee or permanent status leaves many Padaung in a bureaucratic no-man's land. ¶11. Moreover, few Padaung are granted permission to leave the villages. Some receive one of a variety of differently colored residency cards that allow them - and other groups who enjoy less-than-full citizenship status in Thailand - to leave their settlements under certain circumstances. USCB has reported that local officials threatened to take away the cards if Long Neck women stray too far from their role as tourist novelties. COMMENT: THAILAND'S CITIZENSHIP DILEMMA ¶12. Despite signs of cultural exploitation, it is not clear what outcome the Padaung themselves want to see. Some have chosen a taste of freedom and economic opportunity in the tourist villages over an uncertain life inside a refugee camp. Although understandable, this choice runs afoul of ground rules for refugee status set up between the RTG and UNHCR, and leaves the villagers in legal limbo - effectively disqualified from refugee status, but without a clear path to legal residency or citizenship that would allow for free movement and opportunities. Thailand's stateless population - one of the world's largest - must contend with complicated and bureaucratic citizenship laws. This dilemma has left thousands stranded in border camps while many more slip farther inside Thailand to work illegally and risk exploitation. CAMP