Pa'O people(Part 1)

The Pa'O (Burmese: ပအိုဝ်းလူမျိုး, IPA: [pəo̰ lùmjóʊ], or တောင်သူ; Shan: ပဢူဝ်း; Eastern Poe Karen: တံင်သူ; S'gaw Karen: တီသူ; also spelt Pa-O or Paoh) are the seventh largest ethnic nationality in Burma, with a population of approximately 1,800,000[1] to 2,000,000.[2] Other names of the Pa-O include PaU, PhyaU, Piao, Taungthu, Taungsu, Tongsu and Kula. History The Pa'O settled in the Thaton region of present-day Myanmar around 1700 BC. Historically, the Pa'O wore colourful clothing until King Anawratha defeated the Mon King, Makuta of Thaton. The Pa'O were enslaved and forced to wear indigo-dyed clothing to signify their status.[citation needed] People The Pa'O people are the second largest ethnic group in Shan State. They also reside in Kayin State, Kayah State, Mon State, and Bago Division. Many of the modern day Pa'O have fled to Mae Hong Son Province, in northern Thailand, due to ongoing military conflicts in Myanmar. They are believed to be of Tibeto-Burman lineage, and share the language and culture of the Karen people. Subgroups They consist of two distinct groups: the Lowland Pa'O, based in Thaton, and the Highland Pa'O, based in Taunggyi. It is believed that there are as many as twenty-four Pa'O subgroups.[2] The Pa'O subgroups are Htee Ree, Jamzam, Jauk Pa'O, Khrai, Khunlon, Khonlontanyar, Kon jam, Loi Ai, Padaung, Pahtom, Pa nae, Pan Nanm, Nan kay, Mickon, Miclan, Ta Kyor, Taret, Tahtwe, Tatauk, Taungthar, Tayam, Ta Noe, Warphrarei and Yin Tai . Agriculture The Pa'O predominantly cultivate the leaves of the thanapet tree, onions, garlic, chili, potatoes, rice, peanuts, beans, sesame seeds, mustard leaves, and green tea. Culture Fire Rocket Festival The pwe lu-phaing (Fire Rocket Festival), is celebrated from April to July. The purpose of the festival is to bring ample rain to the villages during the planting season. According to Pa'O tradition, rockets are fired to help the clouds make rain. The village headman determines the size of the rockets. The largest rockets can contain up to 20 kilograms of gunpowder and have a range of 5–6 miles. The rockets, originally made from bamboo, are currently made from iron. Prior to firing, the rocket is carried once around the local temple on someone's shoulder. The festival also demonstrates the unity and friendship among different villages as they gather together for one week. "Pwe" means festival, "Lue" means donation and "Phaing" means to remove sins.