In the north of Thailand, there is a village in which former residents of Myanmar/Burma live. They escaped persecution in their home country, but they are also denied citizenship and the right to work in Thailand. Thus, the village is currently a tourist attraction due to the unusual traditions and appearance of its inhabitants. In particular, tourists are attracted by the long necks of girls and women, which they get by wearing special rings. While there is an opportunity for tourists to purchase various excursions to the village and observe Kayan Lahwi, some companies criticize this practice and call it a human zoo that violates the rights of refugees. At that time, people in business consider this touristic service as a mutually beneficial partnership. The villagers themselves note that the interest of tourists allows them to lead a much more diverse and overall better life than in Myanma /Burma. First of all, they get more money since, in their homeland, labor opportunities are limited to low-paid farming, which is similar to slavery. Residents can also interact with tourists and learn about the life of people from other cultures, which is an important experience for them.
The situation described in the article is presented from different angles, which makes it possible to evaluate it in more detail. Despite the fact that the opinion of only one villager is given, the lack of resistance of refugees to tourist excursions indicates their agreement to participate in this type of activity. It provides them with a livelihood under the conditions of an official ban on work and also allows them not to return to their homeland. Thus, in my opinion, it is more humane not to limit their interaction with tourists so that they can provide themselves with a comfortable life as refugees. Although this situation may raise a number of legal issues, Thailand also benefits from the increased interest of tourists.
Reference
Rallis, Donald. “Cultural Education or Human Zoo? A Kayan Lahwi refugee village in Thailand.” Regional GeogBlog, Web.