in northwest thailand close to the Burmese border lies a refugee camp it
Burmese border lies a refugee camp it
Burmese border lies a refugee camp it harbors an unusual tribe stretch necks
harbors an unusual tribe stretch necks
harbors an unusual tribe stretch necks and shackled limbs define these women as
and shackled limbs define these women as
and shackled limbs define these women as Padang for centuries the Padang women
Padang for centuries the Padang women
Padang for centuries the Padang women have carried the tribes mark the caller
have carried the tribes mark the caller
have carried the tribes mark the caller known as Wang each of them began the
known as Wang each of them began the
known as Wang each of them began the painful process as a girl when her bones
painful process as a girl when her bones
painful process as a girl when her bones were small and flexible even on the
were small and flexible even on the
were small and flexible even on the young however the coils chafed to
young however the coils chafed to
young however the coils chafed to achieve the stretch neck look of her
achieve the stretch neck look of her
achieve the stretch neck look of her elders she’ll have to return every few
elders she’ll have to return every few
elders she’ll have to return every few years to have more coils added the
years to have more coils added the
years to have more coils added the collar continues to hurt but for Padang
collar continues to hurt but for Padang
collar continues to hurt but for Padang girls pain is a requirement of belonging
girls pain is a requirement of belonging
girls pain is a requirement of belonging the long neck look is actually an
the long neck look is actually an
the long neck look is actually an illusion when you wear the rings it is
illusion when you wear the rings it is
illusion when you wear the rings it is not your neck that gets longer it is
not your neck that gets longer it is
not your neck that gets longer it is your shoulders that gets pushed down and
your shoulders that gets pushed down and
your shoulders that gets pushed down and lowered as the coil grows its pressure
lowered as the coil grows its pressure
lowered as the coil grows its pressure pushes down on the shoulders and chest
pushes down on the shoulders and chest
pushes down on the shoulders and chest the ribcage caves like a squeezed
the ribcage caves like a squeezed
the ribcage caves like a squeezed balloon and the neck appears to rise
balloon and the neck appears to rise
balloon and the neck appears to rise higher from the collapsed collarbones
higher from the collapsed collarbones
higher from the collapsed collarbones the intentional deformation might seem
the intentional deformation might seem
the intentional deformation might seem masochistic to outsiders but to the
masochistic to outsiders but to the
masochistic to outsiders but to the Padang the Wang is the signature mark of
Padang the Wang is the signature mark of
Padang the Wang is the signature mark of a tribes woman but the extreme practice
a tribes woman but the extreme practice
a tribes woman but the extreme practice that identified them as Padang also
that identified them as Padang also
that identified them as Padang also marked them for persecution in their
marked them for persecution in their
marked them for persecution in their homeland of Burma now called Myanmar in
homeland of Burma now called Myanmar in
homeland of Burma now called Myanmar in 1962 the military seized control of the
1962 the military seized control of the
1962 the military seized control of the country promising modernization the new
country promising modernization the new
country promising modernization the new leaders crackdown on tribes deemed
leaders crackdown on tribes deemed
leaders crackdown on tribes deemed primitive and tribal customs including
primitive and tribal customs including
primitive and tribal customs including the wang were outlawed to maintain their
the wang were outlawed to maintain their
the wang were outlawed to maintain their identity and escape civil war Manang and
identity and escape civil war Manang and
identity and escape civil war Manang and others fled to the neighboring country
others fled to the neighboring country
others fled to the neighboring country of Thailand
although safe from war the tribe is now
although safe from war the tribe is now caught between two countries and two
caught between two countries and two
caught between two countries and two worlds housed in refugee camps the
worlds housed in refugee camps the
worlds housed in refugee camps the Padang have drawn crowds of Western
Padang have drawn crowds of Western
Padang have drawn crowds of Western tourists who travel to witness their
tourists who travel to witness their
tourists who travel to witness their ancient ways unexpectedly what was once
ancient ways unexpectedly what was once
ancient ways unexpectedly what was once a persecuted mark of identity is now a
a persecuted mark of identity is now a
a persecuted mark of identity is now a profitable way to make a living today my
profitable way to make a living today my
profitable way to make a living today my bang will have the opportunity to find
bang will have the opportunity to find
bang will have the opportunity to find out how I look without her brass collar
out how I look without her brass collar
out how I look without her brass collar after 10 years it’s time for the rings
after 10 years it’s time for the rings
after 10 years it’s time for the rings to be refitted it will take close to an
to be refitted it will take close to an
to be refitted it will take close to an hour of pulling at the brass before the
hour of pulling at the brass before the
hour of pulling at the brass before the rings can be lifted from her shoulders
my bang is astonished at how light she
my bang is astonished at how light she feels she only speaks the Burmese
feels she only speaks the Burmese
feels she only speaks the Burmese dialect so maja helps her express her
dialect so maja helps her express her
dialect so maja helps her express her field well we never get to see what the
field well we never get to see what the
field well we never get to see what the neck looks like so we want to have a
neck looks like so we want to have a
neck looks like so we want to have a look and see how it turned out for
look and see how it turned out for
look and see how it turned out for outsiders it’s incredible to imagine
outsiders it’s incredible to imagine
outsiders it’s incredible to imagine never seen one’s own neck form a bang
never seen one’s own neck form a bang
never seen one’s own neck form a bang it’s a transformative experience she
it’s a transformative experience she
it’s a transformative experience she wants to dress up in regular clothes and
wants to dress up in regular clothes and
wants to dress up in regular clothes and let her hair down and see if she will
let her hair down and see if she will
let her hair down and see if she will look pretty as excited as she was to try
look pretty as excited as she was to try
look pretty as excited as she was to try on a new identity my bang eagerly
on a new identity my bang eagerly
on a new identity my bang eagerly returns to her old one even though it
returns to her old one even though it
returns to her old one even though it may be years even decades before she
may be years even decades before she
may be years even decades before she sees her neck again she says this is our
sees her neck again she says this is our
sees her neck again she says this is our tradition so it does not feel strange
tradition so it does not feel strange
tradition so it does not feel strange form a bang the embrace of a coiled
form a bang the embrace of a coiled
form a bang the embrace of a coiled metal offers a passage back to who she
metal offers a passage back to who she
metal offers a passage back to who she is not a restriction on who she might be
is not a restriction on who she might be
is not a restriction on who she might be as refugees the padang have endured much
as refugees the padang have endured much
as refugees the padang have endured much to preserve their culture and their
to preserve their culture and their
to preserve their culture and their customs today these rings of grass
customs today these rings of grass
customs today these rings of grass represent one tribes commitment to a
represent one tribes commitment to a
represent one tribes commitment to a future that does not sacrifice its past
”
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