In Thailand, a “zoo people” exhibits the Giraffe Women
More than 15,000 tourists come each year to this unique ‘zoo people’ to photograph a group of women belonging to ethnic Kayan, known as “Giraffe Women” or Pandaung its Burmese name they hate.
Sitting in front of their huts exhibit their long necks covered with brass rings exposed to the curiosity of the visitors that capture images with their cameras.
Kayan women, proud of their ethnicity and culture, escaped in the 90′s of his native Burma when his people failed in the attempt to become independent. They fled to Thailand and there he settled with the consent of the authorities who allowed the group refugees a small business involving the sale of small crafts.
Soon, the interest caused by the thick collar employees to stretch their necks, attracted hundreds of tourists began to arrive from all over the world, which took the tour operators and exploited as a tourist attraction. An attraction that enslaves them for over twenty years.
The fact is that most women today, but not wanting to bring rings are forced to do so by the Karen and Thai leaders, who are forbidden to leave.
The tour of the village is not free: the men are responsible for charging the entrance and the profits are shared among tribal leaders, tour operators and Giraffe Women receive only 40 euros of profit.
Because of their refugee status and having no land to cultivate, to the tribe, this is their only source of income based, of course, in the undignified condition of these women are not free to leave.
This activity has been described as “demeaning” for several humanitarian organizations. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner (UNHCR) has worked for years to try to move the Kayan to other countries but the Thai government puts serious obstacles. As this situation is not resolved, UNHCR has appealed to tourists to stop visiting the villages where the Giraffe Women are exhibited as objects.
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