The Maniq or Mani are an ethnic group of
Thailand. They are more widely known in Thailand as the ''Sakai'' ( th, ซาไก), a controversial derogatory term meaning'barbarism'.
They are the only
Negrito group in Thailand and speak a variety of related
Aslian languages, primarily
Kensiu
Kensiu (Kensiw) is an Austro-asiatic language of the Jahaic (Northern Aslian) subbranch. It is spoken by a small community of 300 in Yala Province in southern Thailand and also reportedly by a community of approximately 300 speakers in Western ...
and
Ten'edn
Ten'edn, also known as Mos in Thailand and Tonga-Mos or just Tonga in some literature, is an aboriginal Mon–Khmer language spoken by the Maniq
The Maniq or Mani are an ethnic group of Thailand. They are more widely known in Thailand as the ...
. They have their own language, culture, and no alphabet.
In Thailand, the Maniq minority live in the southern provinces of
Yala,
Narathiwat,
Phatthalung
Phatthalung (, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang
Thesaban ( th, เทศบาล, , ) are the municipalities of Thailand. There are three levels of municipalities: city, town, and sub-district. Bangkok and Pattaya are special municipal entities ...
,
Trang Trang may refer to:
Places
* Trang province, Thailand
** Trang, Thailand, capital city of Trang province
** Trang Airport
** Trang railway station
**Trang River
*Trang, a sub-district of Mayo district, Pattani province, Thailand
*Trang (commune), ...
, and
Satun.
Characteristics
The ''Maniq'' are a
hunting and gathering society. They build temporary huts of bamboo with roofs made of banana leaves. They hunt many types of animals and consume many different kinds of vegetables and fruits. They wear simple clothes made of materials such as bamboo leaves. They are familiar with many different species of
medicinal herbs.
The director-general of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department of the Justice Ministry, said the Maniq are categorised into two groups based on where they live. The first group lives in the
Titiwangsa Mountains in Yala and Narathiwat while the second group dwells in the
Banthat Mountains in Phatthalung, Trang, and Satun.
The total population of the Maniq is about 300 people.
However, they are divided into several different clans.
[''Primal Survivor: Season 5, episode 1'']
Among the Malaysian sultans and rulers of the southern provinces of
Thailand who ruled and enslaved the Negrito slaves, it was once regarded as prestigious to keep Negritos in their yards as part of
collections of amusing jungle beings.
In the first decade of the twentieth century, the king of Thailand,
King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) visited the southern regions of his country and met with the Semang people. In 1906, an orphan Semang boy who was captured and named Khanung was sent to the royal court, where he was perceived as the adoptive son of the ruler.
From this event, it has led to the patronage of the Semang people by the royal court.
Migration
Occasionally, Mani Clans will move to a new area. Hunters are sent to navigate the terrain in order to find a spot for their clan to setup camp. When a spot is found the hunters return to their clan to bring them to their new home.
See also
*
Negrito
*
Semang
*
Batek people
The Batek (or Bateq) people are an indigenous Orang Asli people (numbering about 1,519 in 2000); belonging to the Semang group, who live in the rainforest of peninsular Malaysia. As a result of encroachment, they now primarily inhabit the Taman ...
*
Lanoh people
*
List of ethnic groups in Thailand
References
External links
Film: Last Foragers Standing. The daily life of the ManiqMani people : Ethnic ‘negrito’ tribe of ThailandEthnologue report for Tonga languageThailand Mani indigenous dataRWAAI (Repository and Workspace for Austroasiatic Intangible Heritage)
* http://hdl.handle.net/10050/00-0000-0000-0003-66FA-7@view Maniq in RWAAI Digital Archive
Indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia
Ethnic groups in Thailand
Hunter-gatherers of Asia
Negritos
{{Thailand-stub