IN THE NEWS: 'Salween Stories:' Mong Pan, Myanmar

Every month Salween Stories launches a new set of stories from a town or region on the Salween River Basin. This month they take us to Mong Pan, Myanmar, home to a variety of ethnic communities, but a town in transition nonetheless.

Presently, certain areas in Myanmar are still restricted for foreigners to visit including Mongpan, which makes this story even more intriguing and insightful, taking us into a world that most have never ventured to or may never have an opportunity to see. 

Mong Pan township used to be a very beautiful place. It is surrounded by mountains, and in the past had a river flowing through the heart of the township. The river, sadly, is now more  because the water has been blocked upstream by a military camp. The township used to be formed of 80 villages, but since 1996 it was forcibly combined by the Myanmar government at the time into 20 villages. 

Please visit the Salween Stories website to discover more about the local history, myths and customs of Mong Pan.