Nung Rawang

The Rawang people (Burmese: ရဝမ်လူမျိုး) are an ethnic group who inhabit far northern Kachin State of Burma (Myanmar) and speak the Rawang language. Myanmar is home to an estimated 65,000 Rawang, most of whom live in the Putao Valley.^[1][2]

Rawang

Rvwang
Total population
~100,000
Regions with significant populations
Myanmar (Kachin State) India (Arunachal Pradesh) China (Yunnan)
Languages
Rawang, Jinghpaw, Burmese
Religion
Christianity (majority), Animism
Related ethnic groups
Taron, Nung, Derung, and other Nungish speaking peoples

According to cultural research and their own oral traditions, the Nung-Rawang most likely migrated from Mongolia southward to China's Three Parallel Rivers region. During the second millennium, the Nung-Rawang migrated southwest into northern Burma, seeking fertile farmland and settling in some of the country's most remote valleys. They are related to the Derung people who live across the border in China.^[1]

During the British colonial period, their very existence was thought to be a myth, as incoherent reports of "pygmy tribes" in the mountains of northern Burma surfaced from time to time. The Drung, a sub tribe of the Nung-Rawang, are short in stature and known for their crossbow hunting skills.^{[citation needed]}