Tribes and villages in Myanmar's far north commonly waged war over land, and there are reports of warriors hacking off their enemies' heads for trophies as late as the 1960s. LONGWA, Myanmar: Ngon Pok remembers his father and grandfather returning triumphantly to his tribal village in Myanmar's far north with a human head - and the agony of the tattoo he was given to celebrate their victory.
"People had to catch me and hold me down," he tells AFP, removing his jumper to reveal his chest adorned with parallel, vertical stripes and two warrior figures. Ngon Pok's wife, aged about 75, says she chose to have the geometric designs etched on her arms, legs and face as a teenager."But I told myself if my mum and my aunts could do it then so could I," she says, adding with a smile that - unlike her husband - she did not need to be restrained to withstand the pain.The Naga consist of dozens of tribes in a region so isolated that neighbouring villages often speak completely different languages and dialects.
This is one of the poorest corners of Myanmar, where many must walk for days to reach the nearest town, few children progress beyond primary school education and only 40 per cent of villages boast electricity. The Konyak village of Longwa actually straddles the border, set on a high ridge commanding a view of both countries and is the seat of the tribe's king, whose house symbolically lies directly on the frontier.
Houn Ngo Kaw, 75, claims he helped put an end to the gory tradition in his village after he converted to Christianity in 1978 and admits"it's better now."
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