The various Palaung groups of Myanmar live in Shan State. Some are in the northwestern corner around Tawngpeng while others live as far south as Kengteng. The Palaung immigrated to Myanmar before the Shan who came from China during the twelfth century. The Palaung cluster consists of several smaller groups including the Rumai Palaung, the Riang-Lang, the Golden Palaung (or Shwe), and the Silver Palaung, each of which speaks its own language. Some groups are bilingual, speaking their native dialects at home, and either Burmese or Shan while in official, literary or religious circles.
Shan State consists of mountain ridges separated by narrow valleys. There is some open grassland, but most of the area is uncultivated forest land.
The Riang-Lang are traditionally farmers. They raise rice, grains and vegetables by using the "slash and burn" method. They grow tea as a commercial crop. Those living in the hills, such as the Rumai, cultivate little besides tea and are not able to grow enough rice for themselves. In former times, they used pack animals to transport the tea to other regions for trade. Today, they have a monopoly on "pickled tea," which they trade for items such as rice, salt and dried fish.
The Riang Lang live in villages together with other ethnic tribes, such as the Shan or the Burmese. Over the years, the Riang Lang have steadily assimilated through intermarriage. Since there are no Riang Lang traditions forbidding inter-tribal marriages, Palaung-Shan marriages are particularly common. This explains why the Shan have had the greatest amount of cultural influence over them.
Among the Riang Lang, extended families live together in oval-shaped, bamboo houses that are raised on posts about six feet above the ground. Some are up to 100 feet in length and contain numerous families. Their diet is predominantly vegetarian.
Riang Lang social culture is a hierarchy based on age, gender and wealth. The Myanmar constitution dictates the political organization which is an unbroken line of administrative authority from the Prime Minister down to the village headman. The community, which elects a single headman, is accounted for in the national census as a territorial unit and accessed taxes. For the common Riang Lang citizen, the government is one of five traditional enemies along with fire, famine, flood and plague.
Buddhism was introduced into Myanmar in the fifth century and today most of the Riang-Lang are Buddhists. However, they have also maintained their ethnic animist religion which is a system of beliefs based on evil spirits called nats. The Riang Lang believe that while all of the nats are inherently evil, some are more evil than others. One must spend their life trying to appease the nats. If the nats are pleased, the people will have a bountiful harvest and good health. If favor is not found with the nats, the people may be subject to great harm. The Riang Lang believe that these spirits can do almost anything in nature, such as prevent floods and other natural disasters.
The Riang Lang have been tremendously affected by the fighting and bloodshed of the past. They need healing and new spiritual hope. There is a great need for Christian resources. The Riang Lang speak their own language, and it will be difficult to get Christian materials to them.
Ask God to call out prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession.
Ask God to protect and encourage the small number of Riang Lang believers.
Pray that the Riang Lang Christians will be a clear witness to their people of God's goodness and grace.
Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Riang Lang towards the gospel.
Ask God to create a hunger within the hearts of the Riang Lang to know the truth.
Pray for many fellowships of Christian believers to be raised up among the Riang Lang.
Scripture Prayers for the Riang Lang in Myanmar (Burma).
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