The Karen ( ), also known as the Kayin, are an ethnolinguistic group of peoples who speak Karenic languages and are indigenous to southern and southeastern Myanmar, including the Irrawaddy delta and Kayin State. The Karen account for around 6.69% of the Burmese population. The Karen consist of approximately 20 subgroups, the largest of whom are the S'gaw and the Pwo peoples. Other Karenic-speaking peoples like the Pa'O, Karenni, and the Kayan, have formed distinct identities.
The ethnic identity of the Karen peoples has significantly been shaped by British colonial rule, Christian missionaries, decolonisation, and sociopolitical developments in Myanmar. The group as a whole is heterogeneous and disparate, as many Karenic ethnic groups do not share a common language, culture, religion, or material characteristics. A pan-Karen ethnic identity is a relatively modern creation, established in the 19th century with the conversion of some Karen to Christianity, and mediated by British colonial policies and practices.
Karen insurgent groups, led primarily by the Karen National Union (KNU), have waged war against the Burmese government since early 1949. The original aim of the KNU was to create an independent Karen homeland called Kawthoolei, but since 1976 they have shifted towards calling for a federal system in Myanmar instead. Even so, the KNU has declined invitations to speak with the Burmese junta.
Ethnonyms The Karen are known by various ethnonyms, including Kayin (ကရင်) in Burmese, Kariang (ကရေၚ်) in Mon, and Yang (ယၢင်း) in Shan. "Karen" is an Anglicisation of the Burmese exonym "Kayin," whose etymology is unclear. The word may have originally been a derogatory term referring to non-Buddhist ethnic groups, or it may derive from Kanyan, possibly a Mon name of a vanished civilisation.
In pre-colonial times, Burmese and Mon kingdoms recognised two general categories of Karen, the Talaing Kayin (, ကရေၚ်မန်), who were lowlander Pwo Karens who were recognised as the "original settlers" and essential to Mon court life, and the Bamar Kayin (, ကရေၚ်ဗမာ), who were highlander S'gaw Karens who were subordinated or assimilated by the Bamar.
During colonial rule, the British adopted "Karen" as a broad label for diverse groups who speak Karenic languages and lived in the periphery of Mon and Burmese-speaking communities. The Burmese government today groups 11 subgroups under the Karen "national race":
Karen (Kayin) Sgaw (S’gaw Karen) Pwo Karen (Pwo Kayin) Geba Karen (Kayinphyu) Pa-Le-Chi, maybe Mobwa Mon Kayin (Sarpyu), unknown Ta-Lay-Pwa, maybe Thalebwa Bwe (Bwe Karen) Monnepwa (Paku Karen) Monpwa, unknown Paku (Paku Karen)
Distribution
The Karen constitute the third largest ethnic population in Myanmar, after the Bamars and Shans. The Karen people live mostly in the hills bordering the eastern mountainous region and Irrawaddy delta of Myanmar,This area is generally referred to as the Karen Hills in colonial literature, especially natural history texts such as Evans (1932). primarily in Kayin State (formerly Karen State), with some in Kayah State, southern Shan State, Ayeyarwady Region, Tanintharyi Region, Bago Division and in northern and western Thailand. Many Karen have migrated to Thailand, having settled mostly on the Myanmar–Thailand border. A few Karen have settled in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, and other Southeast Asian and East Asian countries.
The total number of Karen is difficult to estimate. The last reliable census of Myanmar was conducted in 1931.Ethnicity without Meaning, Data without Context- The 2014 Census: Identity and Citizenship in Burma/Myanmar 24 February 2014 www.tni.org, accessed 7 January 2020 A 2006 Voice of America article cites an estimate of seven million Karen in Myanmar.
Due to the ongoing insurgency, hundreds of thousands of Karen fled to refugee camps along the Thai-Burmese border, while many others (numbers unknown) are internally displaced within Kayin State. Some Karen have resettled elsewhere, including North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia. In 2011, the Karen diaspora population was estimated to be approximately 67,000.
Thailand Approximately 400,000 Karen live in Thailand, where they are by far the largest of the hill tribes.
128,000 Karen live in refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border, the largest of which is Mae La refugee camp, in Tak province, where about 50,000 Karen refugees are hosted. According to BMC, "79% of refugees living in these camps are Karen ethnicity." According to refugee accounts, the camps suffered from overcrowding, disease, and periodic attacks by the Myanmar Army. Their lives are restricted in the camps because they usually cannot go out, and the Thai police might arrest them if they do. Employment for the Karen refugees is scarce and risky.Home/Background/Thailand-Burma Border/Overview www.burmalink.org, updated 6 October 2016, accessed 2 January 2020There is an established governance system in the camps, which are funded by the United Nations, and other donors. The Karen Refugee Committee governs the day-to-day administration of the camp under the authority of the Thai government which guards entrances and exits to the camp. Within the camp there is a robust school system for children up to high school. In some camps there are college courses organised by the Karen Refugee Committee – Education Entity.
Andaman Islands
There is a population of 2,500 Karen in India, mostly restricted to Mayabunder Tehsil of the Northern Andaman Islands within the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Nearly all of them are Baptist Protestant Christians. They retain their language to intercommunicate within community, but use Hindi as a second language to communicate with non-Karen neighbours.
North America
Beginning in 2000, the Karen started resettling in the United States and Canada. Many Karen arrive without speaking the local language. "90% of the Karen refugees reported no knowledge of English or French on arrival." An estimated 20,000 Karen live in Minnesota, primarily Saint Paul.Saint Paul Public Library. Children's Books in Karen, Amharic, and Oromo. Retrieved from https://sppl.org/childrens-books-in-karen-amharic-and-oromo/ More than 5,000 Karen live in Nebraska, and the Karen have also resettled in Southern California and central New York.
In 2014, Ler Htoo was sworn in after graduating from the St. Paul Police Academy in Minnesota as the first Karen police officer in the United States. Mu Aye is a young Karen woman who has resettled in San Diego, CA. Aye said, "After growing up in a place like I did, I wanted to become a nurse. I wanted to help sick people [...] travel to refugee camps in Thailand and care for people who cannot afford medication." Additionally, Eh De Gray, who graduated from San Diego's Crawford High School, wants to go back to the camps and share his knowledge with the school children. Gray said, "I want to share my knowledge and experiences with them."
History
Origins Karen legends refer to a "river of running sand" which their ancestors reputedly crossed. Many Karen believe this refers to the Gobi Desert, even though they have lived in Myanmar for centuries. Most scholars dismiss the notion of a Gobi desert crossing, but instead translate the legend as describing "rivers of water flowing with sand". This could refer to the sediment-laden Yellow River of China, the upper reaches of which are considered to be the Urheimat of Sino-Tibetan languages.
According to the legends, the Karen took a long time to cook shellfish at the river of flowing sand, until the Chinese taught the Karens to open the shells so as to acquire the meat. It is estimated by linguists Luce and Lehman that the Tibeto-Burman peoples such as the Karen migrated into present-day Myanmar between 300 and 800 CE.
Luce argues that the Karens were originally hill tribes that descended from the north alongside the Salween and Irrawaddy Rivers under their leaders the Sgaw and Pwo who likely learn wet rice cultivation from the older Mon-Khmer of the south and east of them. The Karens irrigated the Kyaukse and Minbu districts with the Palaung, Mon and Wa populations before Burmese arrival. Upon the Burmese arrival, the Karens were pushed out south and southwest.
During the early Burmese era, the names for the Karens were written as in 1240. The inscription further discusses their "many coloured smock frocks", which are still work by the hill Karen tribes. They are the sleeveless bags or "cage heads" Chinese observers recorded during documentation. Other names for the Karen historically include and . refers to "Taungthu" which means hill-man or hill-farmer as a pure Burmese exonym. This term mostly applies to the Pă-o dialect-speaking Karens. Luce argues it was used vaguely for dry rice cultivators on the eastern borders of the plains. The term appears most frequently in inscriptions regarding slave-names as a prefix and suffix. A list of Pagoda slaves in one 1276AD inscriptions states (Mr Kantu), (Mr Sgaw(?)) and (Mr Taungthu). The earliest use of Toṅsū is in Burmese inscriptions of 1165-1167AD, however there is little to no evidence to indicate and locte the Toṅsū, however Luce presupposed it to be the northern Karens of the Pagan period. Old Burmese is provisionally identified as Sgaw by Luce. He argues this on the basis of a linguistic shift. A Pagan inscription of 1242AD states the name of 25 slaves from Caku (Săgu) followed by 31 slaves from Caku. Luce argues both names appear Burmese. Since Săgu was the old capital of the Six Kharuin in the Minbu district, Luce argues the Cakraw had long descended form the Karen Hills in the east and crossed the plain of Central Burma close to the Irrawaddy. A Sălin inscription from the north of the district of 1353 includes a list of boundaries of dedicated land mentions of Great Cakraw. Other inscriptions mention Cakraw canals, a Cakraw Village and Great Cakraw referring to a province.
Upon displacement by Burmans, the Karents split. The Pă-o (Taungthu) remained in the hills where they became only referenced as slaves of Pagan and had their languages influenced by the Burmans. Some southern Karens joined the Palaung to form the Toṅṅū (Toungoo) Kingdom as a rallying point against the southern expansions of the Burmese. However, this failed due to Burmese infiltration due to Shan developments in the north and the Karens were made to continue migrating south.
Genetics Estimates suggest that the Karen began inhabiting what is now Myanmar approximately 2,500 years ago, migrating from regions that are now Mongolia and Tibet. They settled primarily in the hills bordering the eastern mountainous region of Myanmar.
Research indicates that the Karen exhibit signs of genetic isolation, suggesting a distinct genetic lineage separate from neighbouring populations. A study focusing on the Kayah (Red Karen) in Northern Thailand analysed autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) and Y-chromosomal haplogroups. The findings revealed that the Kayah people are genetically closer to other Southeast Asian populations than to those from Northeast Asia or Tibet.
British colonial era Following British victories in the three Anglo-Burmese wars, Myanmar was annexed as a province of British India in 1886. Baptist missionaries introduced Christianity to Myanmar beginning in 1830, and they were successful in converting many Karen. Christian Karens were favoured by the British colonial authorities and were given opportunities not available to the Burmese ethnic majority, including military recruitment and seats in the legislature. Some Christian Karens began asserting an identity apart from their non-Christian counterparts, and many became leaders of Karen ethno-nationalist organisations, including the Karen National Union.