YIN TA LEH CULTURE THREATENED

Kantarawaddy - Two women, 35 and 24 years old, were sitting face to face on a big rock near the shore of the Pon River washing their clothes. Meanwhile, children, young people and a variety of older people were swimming in the gently flowing water.

Up river, there were noisy oxcarts, each carrying a barrel on its side. Bucket after bucket of water from the river was being poured into a 6 square inch hole in each barrel’s belly.

I was afraid to swim in the river, because I was just a guest visiting the local people’s village, situated on the Pon River, in the central part of Karenni state, where my elder sister was serving as a teacher. Instead, I just bathed on the edge of the river.

The memory of the beautiful landscape near their village, the tidal crops, paddy fields and the shore along the river is still vivid in my mind.

This natural beauty is complimented by the traditional red clothing worn by the Yin Ta Leh people, who populate the area. The beauty of the blending of nature and these striking people cannot be explained.

This region has been the traditional homeland of the Yin Ta Leh It was here they developed their culture and language.

The riverside village has 95 houses and is home to 300 people.

A local woman, named Ta Liang Lar Sar, became my good friend. But, even though I am Karenni , I don’t understand even a word of their language.  

They are the smallest minority ethnic group in Burma, with a population of about 10,000. And, they cannot be found anywhere else in the country.

“Most people don’t know about our people,” Ta Liang Lar Sar said.

She said every ethnic group should have its own literature so that it can preserve its history. However, the Yin Ta Leh do not have their own alphabet, even though they are an ethnic subgroup of the Karenni people.

Ta Liang Lar Sar said, “We don’t have any written literature. We really need this.”

The Yin Ta Leh have many cultural traditions and knowledge of nature and traditional medicine which should be preserved.

“Modernization has brought many improvements. Whether we accept it or not development is a good thing for our culture. On the other hand, we have to improve our culture, literature and knowledge to keep pace with development,” said Ta Liang Lar Sar.

She also said, “Today, our young people have less interest in preserving their own culture. They have to struggle every day for food.”

That makes ethnic minorities at risk of becoming extinct.

Today, many Yin Ta Leh youth simply refer to themselves as Kayah (or Karenni) on their identification cards.

Ta Liang Lar Sar is concerned such lack of desire to preserve their ethnic identity could lead to the disappearance of Yin Tah Leh culture, in the near future.

“Even my relatives are classified as Kayah,” she said.

One Environmental Researcher, with the Karenni Development and Research Group (KDRG), said Yin Ta Leh culture will also be negatively affected if the villagers are forced to migrate to different locations because of a hydro electric development planned for the area.

“If more dams are planned to be built in Burma including the middle part of Karenni state, 28 villages will be under water,” said U Shwe Myo Thant, an official of Karenni Ever Green.  

Villages where Yin Ta Leh people live will disappear under water according to KDRG’s research.

However, electricity is essential to improve the standard of living across the country. It powers technology and development of the economy.

Some local Karenni hope that building dams will supply electricity and improve local transportation.

“Electricity is essential to people lives” said a local person who lives in Pru Hso town, Karenni State.

Construction of  Wae Gyi Dam in Pha An township, Karen state, is a cooperative effort by the Thai electric Company (EGAT) and Burmese Electrical Department (MDX).

The Nations newspaper reported in March, 2007, EGAT and the Burmese government signed the bilateral agreement to build dams in Burma in 2009.

“Our aim is to make everyone happy and successful,” Mr. Pornchai Rujiprapa, chairperson of EGAT Company, was quoted as saying.

Although development of electric power by building dams in Burma will benefit both countries, they need to carefully consider the possible consequences of the disappearance of Yin Ta Leh culture from their traditional homeland.

Ta Liang Lar Sar said, “We don’t want to be evacuated to another place because we are afraid of disappearing, since we are a minority.”

Htet Oo Du, supervisor of KDRG, said the bilateral agreement between the two countries to build the dam requires the government to consult the affected people.

“They (the Burmese government) have to inform and consult with local villagers. They also have to balance good and bad consequences. They have to be accountable for the effects.”

After spending time with my friend Ta Liang Lar Sar, I have learned about her and the Yin Ta Leh ethnic group. However, I cannot imagine what will happen to her people in the near future. I cannot even say whether they will exist as a distinct people group after the dam is built.

But, I do know the people and the land exist in beautiful harmony, for now. That beauty is firmly fixed in my memory. I can only wish this beauty blossoms for eternity.