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Myanmar - Burmese peoples

From the Encyclopaedia Universalis CR-ROM (1998):

"Myanmar is a federal republic made of seven purely burmese divisions (Sagaing, Mandalay, Magwe, Pegu, Irrawaddy, Rangoon, Tenasserim) and seven states with non-burmese population (Kachin, Chan, Kayah, Karen, Mon, Arakan, Chin). National unity was not really achieved due to the diversity of populations. Burmese are mongoloid peoples speaking a language of the tibeto-burmese group, and represent 75% of the population, and up to 80% when including Arakans, who speak the same language but were more or less influenced by Islam, and Tenasserim Mo^ns, who speak a mo^n-khmer language and greatly influenced the Burmese civilization. Burmese are theravada buddhists.
Chan (1,500,000 ?) are Tha, related to Siamese, and also theravada buddhists. They have preserved a feudal organization and dominate proto-indochinese minorities
Kachin of the mountains (450,000 ?) speak a tibeto-burmese language but were not influenced by Indians. They are animists or christians.
Chin tribes (400, 000?) are also of tibeto-burmese language but remain very primitive, and their dialects differ from one valley to the other.
Karen (2,000,000 ?) of the mountains speak a language close to burmese but are animists and partially christianised."[eun]

Ivan Sache, 16 Sep 1999

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