Burma image, WA0567. A Chinbok woman from the Pokoku Chin hills. 'Chinbok' was a terms that was used in reference to certain communities of Chin people who lived in the south of the Chin hills region, close to the plains. Although it was widely used by the administration in colonial Burma, and had probably been derived from Burmese usage, the term was considered highly offensive by those to whom it was applied, having connotations of 'rottenness' or something foul smelling. It was the custom in some of these communities to tattoo the faces of the women and the folklore surrounding this practice frequently recounts that the custom was adopted to make the women unattractive to Burmese kings, who might otherwise come and steal them away.
We've used some of the latest web technologies that your browser does not support. Some functionality might not work as expected. Try upgrading to one of our recommended browsers.
