The Hill People

Perhaps the nicest day, weather wise we have had this trip, 28 and sunny. We headed out to the mountains to visit Akha and Yao, minority villages. The Akha are originally from Burma, having fled the fighting there. We were able to walk through a thatched, bamboo house owned by an elderly woman who sold us bracelets. She didn’t have running water but had electricity and an old satellite t.v. We walked the length of the town of 500 and met the mayor who was quite personable. The mayor is ‘elected’ but buys his votes. He has a great deal of power. As well as being headman, he is also policeman, judge and jury. He is a young man and has big plans for the village. He wants to encourage tourism by having his older citizens dress in traditional garb (they already sell souvenirs). He is trying to address the drug trade but has already been shot at, twice! Being mayor is very lucrative. He gets a salary from the government and unspecified ‘perks’. He drove a brand new Honda and had the biggest house in the village.

A short drive took us to the second town whose people are from Tibet. The older women where turbans and ethnic dress. We walked to a public school and looked into the classrooms. A teacher applies for the job and must be approved by the bureaucracy of the royal family as the royal family are the patrons of the school. The rooms were small but everyone seemed in good spirits. The teachers must teach but also get the kids to like them as there is no infrastructure to keep them in school. If they are unhappy, they stay home.Read more