The Paduang Long Neck Women or so called "giraffe women" are a curious attraction due to the bronze coils they wear around their necks which can weigh up to 20kg and be 30cm in length giving them the illusion of having long necks. However they do not really have longer necks, over the years the coils distort their vertebrae and push down their collarbones. The Paduang start this practice as young as 5 years old.
The Paduang are a subgroup of the Karen Hilltribe who come from the Kayah state in Myanmar. They have battled and fought for independence in Myanmar for decades and around the mid 1990s they fled persecution and came to Thailand. The Paduang that reside in Thailand are refugees and so do not have citizen status or the rights that come with citizenship, such as the right to land ownership or access to medical healthcare.
So, what exactly is the debate? The debate is over whether it is ethical to visit a Long Neck village as a tourist. One of the main reasons why people frown upon and choose not to visit them, is the belief that this form of tourism is nothing less than a human zoo where tourists come to gawk and take pictures of them, a pure form of voyeurism which is degrading. There are also claims that the Paduang are exploited and receive very little of the revenue generated by entrance ticket fees to the village (the villages are not managed or owned by the Long Necks but by a managing organization). There have also been allegations of mis-treatment and children being forced to adopt the long neck practice to attract tourists. Another reason people choose not to visit, is that the villages are not authentic and completely set-up for tourists.
On the flip-side, there are many reasons to visit the Long Necks. Many believe that they are safer in these villages than the alternative of returning to their homeland (Myanmar) where they might face persecution and have a much poorer quality of life. Although tourists complain that the hilltribes push you into buying their souvenirs, this is what their livelihood depends on. Through selling souvenirs they can earn substantially more than if they were to work as farmers or return back home. Although management does profit from the entrance fees to the village, they also need these funds to take care of them for example to pay for medical fees if villagers get sick and general maintenance of the village. Many tourists come away with a feeling that the experience was not authentic and the village contrived, but if you look beyond this and consider the reasons for why it needs to be organised in this way, then the story is very different. The villages have also been around for a long time with generations who were born in the villages and consider it their home.
Whilst outsiders may think of this practice as inhumane, the Long Necks consider this aesthetically beautiful and something they are proud of. Giving them the opportunity to show this practice- an integral part of their culture, acts to enhance and conserve their culture.
Whether to visit these villages remains an individual choice. If you do choose to go one way to ensure your visit benefits the villagers, is to purchase the souvenirs and handicrafts they sell inside the village as this money goes directly to them and is what they make most of their living from.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3696986
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