Moken: People of the Water

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    Moken is a Thai word meaning sea people, people of water, sea nomads or sea gypsies. The Moken are a group of Austronesian people of an archipelago claimed by both Myanmar and Thailand. Their way of life is under pressure by assimilation, subversion, suppression, climate change, and corporate greed. This week on World Ocean Radio we discuss their way of life, the challenges the Moken face, and the ways that some in Western civilizations are seeking a similar, simpler way of life, opting out of consumerism in pursuit of a deeper engagement with nature, land and sea as a means to achieve sustainability and community connection.

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About World Ocean Radio
World Ocean Radio is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by college and community radio stations worldwide. Peter Neill, Director of the World Ocean Observatory and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects.

Image
A Moken fisherman of the Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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