My mum has always been immensely intrigued by the Long neck Karen. I guess her curiosity grew from seeing and hearing so much about them on TV programmes. This is my folks 3rd trip to Chiangmai and seriously, I wasn't prepared to bring them to the Karen village myself. I have heard alot about these villages being set up like human zoo and I didn't want to be part of the viewing crowd. I have intended to sign my folks up to visit the Karens on a private day tour but as we were sightseeing last Sunday, we drove past a sign which read "Long neck Karen here". As we exited from the last sightseeing location, we took a turn and there we were, at a so-called village, which obviously was a set-up. We paid SGD 50 for all 4 of us (which could have cost us SGD 200 for a private tour for 2) and found ourselves in a so-called village.
Shops selling local handicrafts and hand woven scarves lined both sides of the narrow dirt road, which probably was 500 meters long. And each shop was tended by a Karen, mostly young teenage girls who could speak minimal Thai. My folks went forward, started staring at the rings around their necks and my dad being a highly inquisitive man, whipped out his camera, took some shots and started counting the number of rings of their necks. I began speaking to the girls and realized that due to unknown reason, some have more rings on their neck than there should be (which should have corresponded to their age). As I walked down the dirt road, I began to feel incredibly uneasy. Halfway, we saw a young girl, barely 12, working on her fabric and as she looked towards us, smiled. Not a welcoming smile, not a forceful smile. Not a smile which was meant as an encouragement for us to patronize her shop. Just a smile that looks somewhat empty. At that moment, I felt my eyes were welling up with tears. I bought some stuff from her, even though I knew that the money would very well be going to the operator. But there was nothing more I could have done.
As I walked out, I told P about how bad I am feeling to be part of the scam. I have participated in creating demand for this form of exploitation. P was fast in providing his comforts. His logic was maybe these girls were happier sitting and tending their stalls all day long, than to walk long distance just to get food and water supplies in where they originally came from.
I don't know. I just know life is not fair and it will never be.
Shops selling local handicrafts and hand woven scarves lined both sides of the narrow dirt road, which probably was 500 meters long. And each shop was tended by a Karen, mostly young teenage girls who could speak minimal Thai. My folks went forward, started staring at the rings around their necks and my dad being a highly inquisitive man, whipped out his camera, took some shots and started counting the number of rings of their necks. I began speaking to the girls and realized that due to unknown reason, some have more rings on their neck than there should be (which should have corresponded to their age). As I walked down the dirt road, I began to feel incredibly uneasy. Halfway, we saw a young girl, barely 12, working on her fabric and as she looked towards us, smiled. Not a welcoming smile, not a forceful smile. Not a smile which was meant as an encouragement for us to patronize her shop. Just a smile that looks somewhat empty. At that moment, I felt my eyes were welling up with tears. I bought some stuff from her, even though I knew that the money would very well be going to the operator. But there was nothing more I could have done.
As I walked out, I told P about how bad I am feeling to be part of the scam. I have participated in creating demand for this form of exploitation. P was fast in providing his comforts. His logic was maybe these girls were happier sitting and tending their stalls all day long, than to walk long distance just to get food and water supplies in where they originally came from.
I don't know. I just know life is not fair and it will never be.
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