Population and Geographical Distribution
The Karen are the largest tribal group in Thailand. There are 1.1 million Karen living in 2,132 villages in North Thailand.
The Karen, also known as the Yang (to the Northern Thai) or Kariang (to the Thai in other parts of the country), are found along the Thai-Myanmar border, concentrated in the western provinces of Thailand, especially Chiangmai and Maehongson provinces. A small number live in Central Thailand and large numbers also live in Myanmar, where the Karen originated. There are also close to 2 million Karen living elsewhere in the world.
In Thailand, the Karen are divided into four major sub-groups: the Sgaw Karen who call themselves and other related subgroups Pga-ganYaw, the Pwo Karen or Plong, the Pa-O or Taungthu who are also known as Black Karen, and the Bwe or Kayah or Red Karen. There are two sub-categories of Pwo Karen - in the north, the Pwo Rachaburi, and in the east, the Pwo Kanchanaburi. About 12% are the Karen are Pwo Karen, that is about 141,000 people.
Language
Linguistically, Pwo Karen belongs to the Tibeto-Karen branch of the Sino-Tibetan family. It is distinct language from Sgaw Karen, which is spoken by about 70% of the Karen people.
Livelihood and Economic Situation
Most Karen live in mountain villages and practice shifting cultivation of the rotating field type (that is, they move their fields, not their villages). They are primarily subsistence rice farmers. But because they live in the lower mountains, they have interacted significantly with the Thai population. Their formerly isolated villages now boast electricity, running water and a dirt road. Many marketable crops, such as tomatoes, soya beans, peanuts, beans and peppers, have become almost as important as the basic rice crop.
Religion
Much of Karen life is dictated by the spirits. The most important is the "Lord of Land and Water" who controls the productivity of the land and calls upon the rice spirit to grow. Also important is the matrilineal ancestor guardian spirit (bga). The village priest is the most revered individual: he is the ritual leader and it is he who sets dates for the annual ceremonies. As the Karen have been incorporated into the Thai state, so increasing numbers have turned to Buddhism. However, some Karen, especially the Sgaw Karen, have been very responsive to the gospel. Today, there are significant numbers of Christian Karen.
Christian Missions
In 1974 after many years of unfruitful ministry, OMF wondered if they should keep Pwo Karen work going. The 1974 Field Conference promised to pray daily if the OMF couple continued to work among the Pwo Karen. Within a month, many Pwo Karen turned to Christ in different villages. Later, other Protestant groups commenced work among the Pwo Karen.
Today there are over 200 Pwo Karen Christian families of professing Christians in 23 villages relating to the Associated Churches in Thailand, and believers meet regularly for worship. OMF missionaries are actively involved in leadership training and encouraging the use of Chronological Teaching of the Bible as a tool in evangelism and as a way to establish present believers into actively growing churches. They work primarily in Hot-Omkoi area, south-west of Chiang Mai.