Pear people
Encyclopedia
The Pear people are an indigenous group living a sparse existence after years of conflict in Cambodia
and Thailand
.
of eastern Thailand; and Chong la and Chong heap, in Chanthaburi Province
, Thailand.
In the Pear communities in Preah Vihear Province, Pear population was estimated to be 299 households (1,674 persons) in 2002.
According to the Pear Samray people of Kranhung, the Kulen hill region's Samray survived because of emigration in the days of the Angkor
kingdom. After the 1967 revolt of Samlaut
, Pear of Stung Kranhung area moved to Ta Sanh.
While some Sa'och live in Cambodia's coastal area, the Sa’och of the Kampong Som area fled from the Khmer kingdom and went to Trat Province
, Thailand. The Sa’och are a mystery as they are racially different (Negroid) from other Pear groups but speak the same dialect. Because of their negroid features, Sa'och were sometimes called ‘people with tails’ in the Khmer language
. Martin speculates the Sa’och inhabited the higher areas and the Samré the lower slopes and flatter areas before the arrival of Khmer
from Champassak in about the 6th century.
Like the Sa'och, the Chong are Pear who live in Thailand's neighboring Trat Province
and also Chanthaburi Province
.
The Pear cultivate upland rice by the swidden method.
They follow traditional religions.
. Gérard Diffloth
(1992) states that the language and customs of the Pear are radically different from other social groups in Cambodia.
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Ethnography
Pears call themselves: Samré in Pursat Province; Samray in Battambang; Chong and Chong-Samré in the Trat ProvinceTrat Province
Trat is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, and has borders with Chanthaburi Province to the northwest, Cambodia to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south.Trat is most famous for gemstone mining and trading....
of eastern Thailand; and Chong la and Chong heap, in Chanthaburi Province
Chanthaburi Province
Chanthaburi is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, at the border to Battambang and Pailin of Cambodia and the shore to the Gulf of Thailand...
, Thailand.
In the Pear communities in Preah Vihear Province, Pear population was estimated to be 299 households (1,674 persons) in 2002.
According to the Pear Samray people of Kranhung, the Kulen hill region's Samray survived because of emigration in the days of the Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...
kingdom. After the 1967 revolt of Samlaut
Samlaut Multiple Use Area
Samlaut is a protected area in northwestern Cambodia. It was declared a protected area in 1993 by King Norodom Sihanouk along with other forests and preserves. Samlaut is the last remaining tropical rainforest in northwestern Cambodia, covering 600 square kilometres...
, Pear of Stung Kranhung area moved to Ta Sanh.
While some Sa'och live in Cambodia's coastal area, the Sa’och of the Kampong Som area fled from the Khmer kingdom and went to Trat Province
Trat Province
Trat is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, and has borders with Chanthaburi Province to the northwest, Cambodia to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south.Trat is most famous for gemstone mining and trading....
, Thailand. The Sa’och are a mystery as they are racially different (Negroid) from other Pear groups but speak the same dialect. Because of their negroid features, Sa'och were sometimes called ‘people with tails’ in the Khmer language
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
. Martin speculates the Sa’och inhabited the higher areas and the Samré the lower slopes and flatter areas before the arrival of Khmer
Khmer people
Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
from Champassak in about the 6th century.
Like the Sa'och, the Chong are Pear who live in Thailand's neighboring Trat Province
Trat Province
Trat is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, and has borders with Chanthaburi Province to the northwest, Cambodia to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south.Trat is most famous for gemstone mining and trading....
and also Chanthaburi Province
Chanthaburi Province
Chanthaburi is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, at the border to Battambang and Pailin of Cambodia and the shore to the Gulf of Thailand...
.
The Pear cultivate upland rice by the swidden method.
They follow traditional religions.
Language
The people speak the endangered group of Pearic languagesPearic languages
The Pearic languages are a group of endangered languages of the Eastern Mon–Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic language family, spoken by Pear people living in western Cambodia and southeastern Thailand....
. Gérard Diffloth
Gérard Diffloth
Gérard Diffloth is a retired Austro-Asiatic Languages professor, formerly of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, and Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He received his Ph.D...
(1992) states that the language and customs of the Pear are radically different from other social groups in Cambodia.
Further reading
- Brunet, J. The Mouth Organ Among the Samre of the Cardamom Mountains. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Society for Asian Studies, 1969.
- Ironside, J., 2005. Overview of the History and Distribution of Pear (Por) Groups in Cambodia. Ministry of Land Management/GTZ/FFI, Phnom Penh.