The Moken Sea Gypsies

The Moken men and women are sea gypsies that are located in Myanmar. The Myanmar islands they reside in are the Mergui Island chain off Myanmar's southern coastline, in the Bay of Bengal. The Moken people are sea faring men and women that number in the couple of thousands, but this number has been decreasing over the years due to of tsunamis, diseases, and increased threats from outsiders. These outsiders can be in the form of state and federal governments, businesses, and tourists. From fishing boats stealing the seafood that the Moken men and women would otherwise fish to the offshore drilling that takes place for oil, large and small enterprises are moving in for much of the resources their home has to offer. The Myanmar authorities and the moken have not worked together because a lack of communication and understanding on both sides. The Moken folks are resisting adjustment to preserve their way of life while the Burmese authorities is implementing reform to improve tourism in the region. Training programs have been established by the federal government to teach The Moken men and women ways to make handicrafts and sell souvenirs, but one must ask if this is really what they want. Living on the sea and being sea faring men and women making the shift to producing items and selling them may be a strenuous adjustment.

The Moken men and women live on the sea during monsoon period which takes place from May to October in the area, living off the sea and commuting around isles according to the volume of fish they are in need of. The Moken build boats and utilize all the space on these boats; sleeping on these boats, developing a makeshift toilet, and designated spots for cooking. These boats are known as "kabong". They do have houses, which are strategically constructed on the eastern side of the isle to avoid the winds and waves that taken place from the south western direction. These houses are built on long pieces of wood elevated above the ground to hedge against flooding. They have developed technique for offshore fishing using tools like nets and spears. Only being able to make spears and catch fish doesn't mean that's the only things they have and need, whatever they catch in excess of the fish they need to eat, they barter at markets for other items they may find useful.

The Moken people are men and women who will soon see the growing effects of the reforms Myanmar's state and federal government is implementing; in order for these sea faring men and women to survive (only a few thousand left), the state and federal government and The Moken folks must work together to secure a safe future for them by assimilating them into the government's strategy for development. As some isles in the Mengui Archipelago are being questioned by Thailand and Myanmar of ownership, which is likely to continue as tourism and the advantages of tourism involving these islands become more evident, it's important that the Moken Men and women do not become a victim of politics in the area.