Moken
Individual Documents
Description:
"The life of Robinson Crusoe, or any other castaway for that matter, can’t have been exactly idyllic. The sands may have been golden, the waters azure, the island “delightfully unspoilt” – but what did he do come happy hour?
All of which brings us to the Mergui Archipelago (aka Myeik Kyunzu, aka Maldives sans the masses), on the west coast of Myanmar, which teeters between being 800 mainly uninhabited islands pure and simple, plus some thriving coral reefs, and getting branded – the horror, the horror – “the next big thing”.
One or two resorts have opened up on the islands, balancing their eco credentials with assertions of luxury, and liveaboards still putter about, but otherwise Mergui is one of the few places in Asia that has not succumbed to the homogenisation engendered by mass tourism. The diving is unparalleled, and the sense of isolation untrammelled.
So – assuming this is not blindingly obvious – if there is any time to go, it would be sooner rather than later.
Apart from slurping up the peace, quiet and exclusivity, diving and snorkelling are the obvious recreations, while the Moken (sea gypsies) are tolerant of visitors. Forging a trail through some of the larger islands’ jungles has its Indiana Jones moments..."
Source/publisher:
"South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2019-04-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Wetlands (global and regional) description, Tenasserim (Tanintharyi) Division, Moken, Burmese political culture - general
Language:
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Description:
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Burma Boating is set to launch monthly cruises around the Mergui Archipelago in southern Myanmar, combining two of the most sought-after activities in these pristine waters – yachting and scuba diving.
The SY Dallinghoo, a 30 meter classic gaff-rigged schooner crafted by renowned US yacht designer Dudley Dix, will cast off from the port of Kawthaung in southern Myanmar once a month from November 2019 through April 2020 and traverse the Mergui Archipelago on an 8 day, 7 night sailing trip which can accommodate up to eight qualified divers.
Michael Cole, the head of Burma Boating, says that with this new Sail & Dive adventure, they wanted to offer something extraordinary.
“There are few, if any, undiscovered nirvanas like the Mergui Archipelago left on this planet. These cruises will provide comfort, exquisite dining, and stops at no less than five fantastic dive sites, all of which feature a kaleidoscope of coral and magnificent marine life.”
follow us in feedly
Burma Boating is set to launch monthly cruises around the Mergui Archipelago in southern Myanmar, combining two of the most sought-after activities in these pristine waters – yachting and scuba diving.
The SY Dallinghoo, a 30 meter classic gaff-rigged schooner crafted by renowned US yacht designer Dudley Dix, will cast off from the port of Kawthaung in southern Myanmar once a month from November 2019 through April 2020 and traverse the Mergui Archipelago on an 8 day, 7 night sailing trip which can accommodate up to eight qualified divers.
Michael Cole, the head of Burma Boating, says that with this new Sail & Dive adventure, they wanted to offer something extraordinary.
“There are few, if any, undiscovered nirvanas like the Mergui Archipelago left on this planet. These cruises will provide comfort, exquisite dining, and stops at no less than five fantastic dive sites, all of which feature a kaleidoscope of coral and magnificent marine life.”
Doing Myanmar's Mergui Archipelago in style | News by The Thaiger
The Mergui Archipelago is located in the Andaman Sea off the coast of southern Myanmar, and is home to the ethnic Moken community of fisherman, also known as “sea gypsies.”
For decades, the 800 islands, lagoons, atolls and coral reefs of the archipelago were off-limits to visitors. The islands are now accessible to limited sustainable tourism, though just five hotels have opened to date..."
Source/publisher:
"The Thaiger"
Date of publication:
2019-09-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Tenasserim (Tanintharyi) Division, Moken
Language:
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Description:
"For millennia, the Mu Ko Surin fishervolk have been fishing the Andaman Sea using traditional methods.
This small fishing community on a beach in the Ko Surin island group in Thailand belongs to the Moken tribe. For millennia, the Moken have been fishing the Andaman Sea, diving with spears down to depths of 40 meters. They have trained their lungs so that they can stay underwater for up to four minutes and even walk on the seabed. Years of diving without technical aids has sharpened their eyesight. The Moken used to live in their boats, moving from island to island and living mainly from catching fish and seafood, only staying on dry land during the monsoon season. But nowadays they live onshore all year round, because the Ko Surin National Park’s regulations forbid them to live at sea. So father Chao has turned his back on Moken tradition and moved to the mainland, whilst his son Nguei still tries to live according to it while he still can..."
Ulrike Bremer
Source/publisher:
Deutsche Welle (DW) Documentary
Date of publication:
2018-11-22
Date of entry/update:
2018-11-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
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Description:
"One of the few
remaining
hunter-gatherer
populations in Southeast
Asia, the Moken have
made the sea their home.
Foraging food from oceans
and forests, trading
fish and shells for other
necessities, and traveling
by boat across the waters
of southern Burma and
Thailand, the Moken have
maintained a self-sufficient,
nomadic way of life along
the Andaman coast for
hundreds of years. Approximately 3,000 Moken live around and on the 800
islands of the Mergui Archipelago along Burma?s southern
coast, while an estimated 800 Moken are currently
settled in Thailand.
The Moken have lived in this area since at least the 18th
century, though over time they have traversed the entire
Andaman Sea.2 Most Moken spend their daily lives
on small, covered wooden boats, called kabang. The
Moken?s hunter-gatherer lifestyle relies on men, women,
and children each playing roles in community subsistence,
taking only the resources they require for survival
and making minimal impact on the natural environment.
Usually catching enough for their consumption and trade,
Moken men use harpoons and, more recently, nets to
catch fish. Moken women and children collect crustaceans
and shells during low tide on beaches.3 When
trading goods with land-based communities, the Moken
usually work through middlemen operating in port towns
along the Andaman.4
The Moken face deepening poverty, marginalization, and
discrimination. Most are stateless, making them more
vulnerable to human rights abuses and depriving them
of access to other rights, including the medical care, education,
and employment opportunities that Thai and
Burmese nationals enjoy. Tightening immigration and
maritime conservation laws restrict the Mokens? freedom
of movement, threatening their traditional lifestyle.
In addition to government distrust and discrimination,
the Moken often face exploitation from land-based communities,
but are unable to seek redress through national
laws and policies. In recent years, more Moken have decided
to reside permanently in Thailand and Burma. Both
governments should act to protect and promote the Moken?s
basic rights, including taking steps to provide them
with citizenship..."
Source/publisher:
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Date of publication:
2015-06-25
Date of entry/update:
2015-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burmese and other stateless people in Burma, Bangladesh and India, Moken, Discrimination against the Moken
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.21 MB
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