The Maniq or Mani are a

Negrito The term ''Negrito'' (; ) refers to several diverse ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands. Populations often described as Negrito include: the Andamanese peoples (including the Great Andamanese, th ...

ethnic group of

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. They are more widely known in Thailand as the ''Sakai'' (), a controversial derogatory term meaning 'barbarism'. They are the only Negritos in Thailand and speak a variety of related

Aslian languages The Aslian languages () are the southernmost branch of Austroasiatic languages spoken on the Malay Peninsula. They are the languages of many of the ''Orang Asli'', the aboriginal inhabitants of the peninsula. The total number of native speakers o ...

, primarily Kensiu and Ten'edn, which do not have standard writing systems. In Thailand, the Maniq minority live in the southern provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, Phatthalung, Trang, and Satun.

Genetics

Among the Maniq, balancing selection has been identified in genes relating to

olfactory receptors Olfactory receptors (ORs), also known as odorant receptors, are chemoreceptors expressed in the cell membranes of olfactory receptor neurons and are responsible for the detection of odorants (for example, compounds that have an odor) which give ...

and the

immune system The immune system is a network of biological systems that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to bacteria, as well as Tumor immunology, cancer cells, Parasitic worm, parasitic ...

(particularly within the HLA region). In the latter case, this

selection Selection may refer to: Science * Selection (biology), also called natural selection, selection in evolution ** Sex selection, in genetics ** Mate selection, in mating ** Sexual selection in humans, in human sexuality ** Human mating strat ...

occurred due to the benefit of

genetic diversity Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It ranges widely, from the number of species to differences within species, and can be correlated to the span of survival for a species. It is d ...

in a

pathogen In biology, a pathogen (, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of"), in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a Germ theory of d ...

-rich environment (such as the rainforests the Maniq inhabit), so as to protect against a wide range of threats.

Characteristics

The ''Maniq'' are a hunting and gathering society. They build temporary huts of bamboo with roofs made of banana leaves. They hunt many types of animals and consume many different kinds of vegetables and fruits. They wear simple clothes made of materials such as bamboo leaves. They are familiar with many different species of

medicinal herb Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including Plant defense against h ...

s. The director-general of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department of the Justice Ministry, said the Maniq are categorised into two groups based on where they live. The first group lives in the Titiwangsa Mountains in Yala and Narathiwat while the second group dwells in the Banthat Mountains in Phatthalung, Trang, and Satun. Current estimates on population size range from 300 to 350 people, up from 100 to 300 people according to pre-1960 estimates. Among the Malaysian sultans and rulers of the southern provinces of

who ruled and enslaved the Negrito slaves, it was once regarded as prestigious to keep Negritos in their yards as part of collections of amusing jungle beings. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the king of Thailand, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) visited the southern regions of his country and met with the Semang people. In 1906, an orphan Semang boy who was captured and named Khanung was sent to the royal court, where he was perceived as the adoptive son of the ruler. From this event, it has led to the patronage of the Semang people by the royal court.

History

The Maniq people are among the earliest known inhabitants of Southeast Asia. They are part of the broader group historically referred to as "Negritos," which includes the Semang of Malaysia, the Aeta of the Philippines, and the

Andamanese The Andamanese are the various indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands, part of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the union territory in the southeastern part of the Bay of Bengal. The Andamanese are a designated Scheduled Tribe in Indi ...

of India. These groups are believed to be descendants of the first modern humans (Homo sapiens) who migrated out of Africa approximately 50,000 to 60,000 years ago, following a southern coastal route into Asia. Over time, these populations adapted to diverse forested environments across the region, maintaining distinct cultural and genetic lineages. While later waves of migration such as the Austroasiatic and Austronesian-speaking peoples brought agriculture and new technologies, groups like the Maniq remained relatively isolated, preserving foraging lifestyles and oral traditions. The Banthat Mountain chain became a base area for the

communist insurgency in Thailand The communist insurgency in Thailand was a guerrilla war lasting from 1965 until 1983, fought mainly between the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) and the government of Thailand. The war began to wind down in 1980 following the declaration of ...

during the 1970s and thus a battle ground between communist guerillas and Thai government forces. Especially during the years of 1975-1977, the insurgents were battered in ground and air attacks. The Mani suffered terribly during this war with government forces frequently mistaking the smoke of Mani camp fires for insurgent activity. Those living in Trang and Phatthalung provinces had to move to the sanctuary of Thoungwan district in Satun province. During field campaigns in 1995 and 1996 the occupation of ten rock shelters and nine forest camps were recorded. All these belong to the present-day system of up to one hundred different living sites, inhabited by Mani groups during one year in the forested region of Trang, Satun and Phatthalung Provinces. Today, the Maniq continue to face challenges related to land rights, cultural preservation, and environmental change.

Migration

Occasionally, Mani clans will move to a new area. Hunters are sent to navigate the terrain in order to find a spot for their clan to set up camp. When a spot is found the hunters return to their clan to bring them to their new home.''Primal Survivor: Season 5, episode 1''

References

External links