Koh Lao, off Ranong, Thailand
THE SEA GYPSY WAY
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| A moken's house |
THE first time when I saw them during my visit to Koh Lao (Lao Island) remind me of the Irian Jaya people.
He remembered the tale his father used to tell about the sea spirit. How it can give its ‘treasure’ but if it is not happy then it will take back everything and clean it up to give a new life.
They have golden brown complexion to mark the hours they spend under the sun and sea. Black hair with brownish streaks, bleached by the sun.
Big, flat nose completing their resemblance to those of the Irian Jaya people. They have nothing similar to any of the Thai people that I have come to know or meet throughout my years.
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| Sea Gypsy community in Thailand |
They are the MOKEN people – a small group of indigenous people staying in the island, off the Ranong coastline (Thailand), in the middle of Andaman Sea.
They have been living a nomadic life – on the sea thus giving them their english name – Sea Gypsy.
They drift from one place to another, from Myanmar (Burma) to Thailand all the way to Malaysian coastline, following wherever the wave take them, going to shore only to seek shelter during monsoon season.
The Thai call them Moken or Chao Lai/ Chao Nam (people of the sea/water), the Burmese call them Salung or salone and we in Malaysia better know them as Bajau Laut.
According to the statistics, there are between 2,000 to 3,000 of them living in the Southern Myanmar and Thailand water.
But since they live on the sea, little are known about them – until the tsunami 2004.
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| the village's meeting place |
MOKEN community
They have their own language.
They live by the sea, with the sea.
They were born, live and die with the sea.
When a child is born everything that they are born with, the umbilical cord, placenta were thrown away into the sea, to be part of the sea. They develop clearer sight when they are under water in the sea, they can see clearer. They have develop skill to hold their breath, lower their heart rate so they can last longer under water – which makes them a superb diver. Their service has been used by businessmen in searching for underwater wealth especially corals and pearls.
These people do not live in one place. Traditionally they used to live in their boat which they called Kabang. It comes complete with a place for them to cook, eat and sleep.
They are so tuned with the sea that they know its mood. Whether it is in good mood, sad or angry.
For them the sea has its own feeling, its own soul and it is something they would not interfere or disturb – instead it is something to be respected for when it is in good mood, it will flourish them with its wealth, fish and everything it has under its belly.
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| here we come... |
I was fortunate enough to meet them in person, and spend a day with them during a field visit while attending the Scientific and Technical Symposium on Sustainable Mangrove Ecosystem Management in Ranong in 2008. The symposium, which was jointly organised by the Mangrove for the Future (MFF) was carried out between Nov 22-25 with 180mangrove experts, NGOs, local communities and government representatives from 13 countries. The event looked back at 25 years of pioneering and innovative research from the region on how to combine scientific knowledge with traditional ecological tacit to protect and sustainably manage the mangroves.
With UNDP (UN Development Programme) officials, scientists and other international NGOs representatives who were part the workshop joining the field trip, gave me the ‘front row seat’ in learning about these people.
Language
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| searching for clams |
A trip to a Moken village will make you loose the sense of time. And how you can not rush them in doing things. The sense of time does not exit in their vocabulary.
Actually, the word 'time' does not exist in the Moken language. So it is hard for them to comprehend when you ask them “when” or how long. They can refer to the moon, sun, season but not hour or date. There is no clock or watch in the village.
There are a few words that do no exist in their vocabulary. One of them is WANT. So they do not understand what we actually mean when we say, we WANT TO .... or do you want to have.... they will shrug their shoulder and looked at you as if you are an alien.
They also do not use the word TAKE... so they only get what they find, its not them taking. It’s what given to them.
Huh, profound eh, but then again, perhaps we are the one who is making it complicated with our concept of time and sense of belonging.
There is also no hello or goodbyes in their language.
When we waved, they waved back but they do not believe in saying farewell or see you later or hello again. When they see you, they see you, doesn’t matter when or where. It is cherishing the moment. When you go, you leave, finish!
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| new house being built by NGO - the move, though give the Mokens new home, forcing them to have a permanent home and leave their nomadic way of life behind |
They do not believe in collecting possession. Since they are living in their boat, possession will only drag them and slow them down. These possessions will become liability – not assets.
Lifestyle
When a child is born, they will live with the elders. They eat, they breathe and grow up to be part of the community. Once they come of age, the elders will build a kabang for them. Building the boat for him will be like building a house for him. It is a place for him live and earn a living. When the time comes for him to start his own family then the elders will choose a bride for him or he chooses one of their own kind (some of them even said that these people do practice interbreeding).
They collect whatever they could from the sea -fish, eel, starfish - for their own consumption and if they have extra, then they will trade them with fishermen passing by the area for something that they want – salt, sugar, flour and rice. During low tide the women will comb the beach looking for anything that they can eat and trade – whether it is clams or shells.
Citizens of the sea
Most of these sea gypsies do not have certification to identify who they are and to which country do they belong to. The Moken in Thailand coastal area do not have papers to identify them. Since they used to drift along the sea, following wherever the waves take them, and land only to seek shelter from the monsoon, it is hard to say their origin as well. It’s not until recently, due to various rules and regulations even on sea, that they were forced to stay on land, building houses for themselves.
“We have been roaming the sea ever since we existed in this world, even since our forefathers.
“But now, we were told that we could not roam the sea freely, that the sea now has rules.
“At the same time, we can not stay on land because they say, the land do not belong to us and we have to move away,” said a Moken village head (whom I have forgotten his name).
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| a village for the muslims located on the same island |
He said they were often harassed or chased off by the marine officers when they were caught fishing in the sea.
Some have tried to go to the mainland in search for better opportunity – whether with the logging company or as construction worker. But most of them ended up in jail for working illegally without permit and for failure to produce their identity card (which they do not have in the first place).
“Our fathers used to tell us that the sea belong to God and we can use it but now we were told that it belongs to the government,” said the village head in a baffled look.
According to the UNEP official, that was the dilemma these people were facing.
Although there were various efforts from the authority side, including the amendments of Thailand’s Nationality Act in 2008 which was suppose to accommodate these nomadic people, majority of them are still not qualified to apply. One of the requirements, which was newly introduced was that they have to have a permanent address in Thailand.
Most of them are nomads, and drifting from one place to another, going to places where the waves take them. Since they do not have a permanent Thai address, they could not apply for citizenship or even a permanent residency.
That means, they are not entitled for any kind of assistance from the government – especially financial, education and medical. Yet it was something that these Mokens less worry about – for they have been living without any of them ever since. It is the government’s effort to force them to stay at one place and be used as tourist attraction that worry them.
Some were persuaded to live in nearby National Park, and promised them a ‘better life’.
They were placed in houses and employed by the park officials for monetary return.
Like monkeys placed in parks, visitors often asked them to stage ritual performances. And in return for their performances, the visitors award them with ‘modern world gifts’ of cigarettes, alcohols, drugs and junk food.
Tsunami
The 2004 tsunami that hit Andaman Sea coastal area and killed hundred of thousands of people living along the shoreline – except these Moken people who lived in the island in the middle of the Andaman Sea itself. Not only that they managed the survived the disaster, which killed thousands of those staying miles away from the coastal area, they turned out to be among those who saved the victims. They knew the signs. They sent warnings to the tourists within their reach. They saved themselves and those near them by taking them to highest ground in the island. Then went out to see to save whoever they could after the disaster.
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| Lunch time |
“We were told by our forefathers about the signs. And we saw it on that day.
“I saw the water receeded into the sea very fast, as if the world is tilting to one side.
“Then all the fish started to jump off the water so we know there was something big coming and we had to run to save our lives,” he said.  |
| kapi' going for 80baht/kg |
So he believed that the tsunami was the sea spirit’s way of taking back, washing the land off and giving it a new life.
All of the villagers were spared, amazingly. But there was nothing left of their village. All of the houses were gone.
When asked about their lost, he shrugged of his shoulder and said in a lackadaisical manner, “its alright, we can always start over,” he said.
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| making kapi' / belacan |
During our visit, we also had a chance to have a closer look at how the Muslim community occupying the other side of the island live. These people who are facing similar situation like the Moken people - citizenship status.
However their economy is slightly better since the community has started their own shrimp paste or what the Thai call kapi' (belacan). With that, their village condition is also significantly better than the Mokens living on the other side of the island.
Ends
story and photos by :
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