Maniq People

There is an ethnic group living in southern Thailand known as Maniq, Ngo Pa (เงาะป่า) and the Sakai (ซาไก). They are the only Negrito group in Thailand having their own language, culture, and no known alphabet. The term Ngo Pa is used to describe the physical appearance of the Maniq people: dark skin with thick curly hair resembling the rambutan fruit. But the Maniq dislike the terms Ngo-Pa and Sakai. They feel uneasy when people call them by those terms. For centuries they have relied on the forest for subsistence. But their lifestyle continues to be threatened by frequent encroachment by governments and businesses. They are the only tribe in Thailand that continues the hunter-gatherer lifestyles and try to acclimate to their natural environment as much as possible. Whenever they go hunting, they limit their killing to one animal and are meticulous when removing tuber as to not destroy the plant or root. Archaeological remains suggest that the Maniq people have lived there for at least 25,000 years.

 

In today’s world they mostly live as minorities often under intense discrimination and poverty. They reside in huts made of bamboo and with roofs made from banana leaves. They hunt many types of animals and consume many kinds of vegetables and fruits. For several years rulers from Malaysia and Thailand enslaved the Maniq and kept them as collections of amusing objects. In the early twentieth century, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) visited the southern regions of Thailand and met with the Maniq people. In 1906, an orphan Maniq boy (Khanung) was captured and sent to the royal court, where he was perceived as the adoptive son of the King.

Given their history of violence, enslavement, and misunderstanding, the Maniq are known for their ability to disappear. Recently, there was a plea for the preservation of the Maniq’s cultural heritage and living standards. A Buddhist committee known as the Five Precept stationed in southern Thailand is exploring strategies to protect the tribe’s cultural identity and to shield them from external impacts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maniq_people

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/1139777/no-common-ground

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/buddhist-committee-advocates-for-preservation-of-maniq-tribes-heritage-in-thailand