The Lahu minority in Southwest China : a response to ethnic marginalization on the frontier / Jianxiong Ma.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The escape of E Sha Buddha : ethnicity and political movements in the Black River Valley -- Death threat and self-negation : tension and pressure in the spiritual world -- Marriage and land property : bilateral non-lineal kinship and communal authority -- "To become wives of the Han" : conflicts, marriage squeeze and resettlement of women -- Poverty reduction and education -- Suicide as a cultural response and an indicator of the change of social relationships.

"This book, based on extensive original research including long-term anthropological research among the Lahu, provides an overview of the traditional way of life of the Lahu, their social system, culture and beliefs, and discusses the ways in which these are changing. It shows how the Lahu are especially vulnerable because of their lack of political representatives and a state educated elite which can engage with, and be part of, the government administrative system. The Lahu are one of many relatively small ethnic minorities in China--overall the book provides an example of how the Chinese government approaches these relatively small ethnic minorities."--Publisher's description.