The tribe with the golden spiral

In some tropical forests, far away, a people is surviving in rebellion against the Burmese central state: the karenni. They must not be confused with their close neighbours: the karen, who are also fighting against the military junta in power since the coup of the 2nd of March 1962. The karenni’s history is a long fight for freedom. Indeed, settled along the Salween river for ages, the karenni fight for their independence since the arrival of the Burmese in the IXth century. The British colonisation in the XIXth century has confirmed this particularity with the signature of an Anglo-Burmese treaty the 21st of June 1875 which recognised the sovereignty of the Karenni state within Myanmar. This territory will finally be ruled by the Empire of the British Indies until it collapsed after the Japanese invasion in 1942. Thousands of Karenni decide to fight the invader from the raising sun, although the Burmese government supports the Axis’ forces. The Karenni find back a factual independence after the Japanese defeat. At the same time, the Panglong conference of the 12th of February 1947 establishes the creation of a new federal state called Burmese Union. The Karenni refuse sign in, although other ethnos accept to join in at the condition that they get a secession right. The independence of the Burmese Union is officially announced the 4th of July 1948 and the Karenni state finds itself, against its will, integrated in the boarders of this new federal state. The army of the central state invades the Karenni country, whom president U Be Tu Reh is executed the 8th of September 1948. This date marks the beginning of the guerrilla of the Karenni people.
The “Karenni National Progressive Party” leads the resistance with a government and a national army against the central power. The Karenni are part of the “National Democratic United Front” which regroups different movement in rebellion in Burma. Two Thirds of the Myanmar territory and half of its population are in rebellion. The military junta has just inaugurated Naypyidaw the last 27th of March as the new capital of Myanmar, because this city, located in the jungle is less likely to be the target of a coup. Contrary to the communist rebels the Karenni refuse to fund their fight with the money of the opium trafficking in the Golden Triangle (Burmese region). The means that they own come from a tax of 10% over the smugglers, who carry their merchandises in their territory. The 300000 Karenni are living in very difficult conditions, their villages being frequently bombed by the Burmese air force. Despite that, the Karenni keep fighting for their freedom for almost 60 years with a very strong determination.

The Karenni have the last “giraffe women” in the world, whose neck can attain 30 cm. This spiral in brass, weighting 4 or 5 kilos, is supposed to protect the soul of the tribe, it cannot be removed without causing the death of its holder.