Salon (Moken, Sea Gypsies)

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Description: "MYEIK, Myanmar, 26 February: The ‘last island paradise’ of the Mergui Archipelago, straddling Myanmar and Thailand, has been in the spotlight with a high-level inspection and a day visit by a large super-cruise ship last week. The group of over 800 islands, for decades dubbed ‘the forbidden islands’ following its closure to all by the Burmese military junta since the 1960s, has opened to tourism with the establishment of new resorts on some of the uninhabited islands in recent years. Myanmar’s leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited the new Wa Ale Resort in the Andaman Sea as part of a high-level three-day tour including the main towns of Myeik, Dawei and Kawthaung. The state counsellor was impressed by the conservation-led private resort, which protected fragile marine and land habitats before creating the minimal-impact resort. Accompanied by four senior ministers, including the minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (www.monrec.gov.mm/) U Ohn Win, and the Tanintharyi region Chief Minister Daw Lae Lae Maw, Myanmar’s elected leader inspected the tented villa and treehouse resort, which has a protected sea turtle sanctuary in the dunes of its main beach. The VIP visitors heard from the Forestry Department’s (www.forestdepartment.gov.mm) Nyi Nyi Kyaw about plans for nature-based tourism in the 50,528 acre national marine park, and the area’s unique biodiversity of evergreen forests, mangroves, sandbanks, coral reefs and underwater grasses..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "TTR Weekly" (Thailand)
2019-02-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "While the state deserves praises for swiftly acting to rebuild the Moken community in Ao Bon Yai on the Surin Islands that was devastated by a recent fire, the government should try to move beyond "conventional" charity affairs and focus on the dignity, the quality of lives, and the actual needs of indigenous communities. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plants (DNP) should also think big, as it has to rebuild more than 60 homes that were destroyed in the Feb 3 fire -- which it aim to rebuild within two months. Community members have told me that they wish park officials would enlarge the size of the houses as overcrowding has become an issue. Prior to the fire, they said, it was not unusual to find more than 10 family members living under one roof..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-02-15
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar will give the green light to new hotels in its southernmost archipelago by the end of the year, officials say. The largely unspoilt Mergui archipelago comprises 800 islands in the Andaman Sea, just off the continental coast. "The region has a lot of potential to be a new tourism destination as most of the islands are untouched and have coral reefs," said Sai Kyaw Ohn, deputy minister for hotels and tourism. "We hope these can attract eco-tourists and divers." Some 27 local companies and joint ventures are awaiting approval from the Myanmar Investment Commission for new hotel and resort projects on the islands, he said..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2015-05-25
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "For millennia, the Mu Ko Surin fishervolk have been fishing the Andaman Sea using traditional methods. This small fishing community on a beach in the Ko Surin island group in Thailand belongs to the Moken tribe. For millennia, the Moken have been fishing the Andaman Sea, diving with spears down to depths of 40 meters. They have trained their lungs so that they can stay underwater for up to four minutes and even walk on the seabed. Years of diving without technical aids has sharpened their eyesight. The Moken used to live in their boats, moving from island to island and living mainly from catching fish and seafood, only staying on dry land during the monsoon season. But nowadays they live onshore all year round, because the Ko Surin National Park’s regulations forbid them to live at sea. So father Chao has turned his back on Moken tradition and moved to the mainland, whilst his son Nguei still tries to live according to it while he still can..."
Creator/author: Ulrike Bremer
Source/publisher: Deutsche Welle (DW) Documentary
2018-11-22
Date of entry/update: 2018-11-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "The Salons or sea gypsies are the among the smallest minorities in Burma and no less vulnerable or defenseless against human rights abuses committed by the junta. They need the attention of Human Rights activists and organizations." -- Chin Forum Information Service Freely roaming the ocean in small boats from birth to death, living simply off its riches, a Southeast Asian people seem as mythical as mermaids. These ethnic groups known as "Sea Gypsies" are still found from the Philippines to Borneo to Thailand to Burma. Their lives are romantic but increasingly difficult. This report focuses exclusively on those from Burma's waters. Burma's "Sea Gypsies" face particular problems which may even threaten their existence as a culture and people. Amid the vast array of documentation on Burma's human rights situation and ethnic groups there has been very little investigation about Burma's "Sea Gypsies." A series of books by a French ethnologist, two new books published in Burma, and a recent documentary film are among the main resources available. There has been little press coverage outside of a few tourism-oriented articles and a spate of news coverage in early 2004. Even an activist from the Mon ethnic group of the same region of Burma comments about the "Sea Gypsies": "These people are living offshore and rarely have communication with the people on the coast." As a compendium, this report seeks to fill some of this information gap with a collection of 29 documents and articles from 1997 to 2004 concerning Burma's "Sea Gypsies" in a format accessible to those who are interested in Burma and indigenous/nomadic peoples issues. This compendium is modeled on Project Maje's previous "A Chin Compendium," released in 1999. The material contained here is compiled for nonprofit public interest use. For reproduction contact the original sources. Be sure to credit the original sources, not Project Maje, if quoting from non Project Maje material contained here. This is not a scientific study or a comprehensive report. It is intended as a reference and background resource. It draws upon available information in English about Burma's "Sea Gypsies" from an array of sources, including news articles, tour agencies, and researchers. Project Maje, the compiler of this report, does not endorse, confirm or deny the veracity of any of the non Project Maje material. In some cases, only excerpts directly relevant to the Burma "Sea Gypsies" are included, rather than a complete article. Places where articles were cut for excerpts are marked with three woven rattans (###.) The beginning and end of each article is marked with three nautilus shells (@@@.)
Source/publisher: Project Maje
2004-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2004-09-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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