Ethnic minority integration in China: Transformation of Akha society

Abstract

Modernization and commercialization of agriculture have caused profound transformation in the societies of ethnic minority groups in the modern states of Asia. This is the case of Akha upland communities, which, spread over the boundaries of China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, have been exposed to considerable outside political and economic forces. Thus, in Thailand, the Akha have repeatedly been victims of state assimilation programmes and land speculation pressures. In China, the Akha, who, like other minority groups had been the target of repression during the collective era, have regained, under the economic and political reforms of the past decade, a degree of control over their social and economic development. The Akha have made use of greater freedom of cultural expression to revive some of their traditions and customs. At the same time, by participating in the national market economy, they have been able to improve their standards of living and diversify their sources of income. Nevertheless, the Akha's transformation in China continues to be shaped by patrilineal principles of social organization which affect the sizes of landholdings available to families and encourage women to migrate. The Akha's development is also constrained by a situation of scarce rural credit, a lack of state investment in irrigation and transport infrastructures, and inadequate local participation in development planning.