Elephant lucky ring made entirely by hand by hill tribes from Myanmar.

Hill tribes is the term used for various ethnic groups living in the mountain areas of southern China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. they live a semi-nomadic existence. Often they still live like people in the beginning of our era and the "20th century" comes as a shock to them. The various governments of the countries in which they live try to assimilate these peoples into the "normal" population. Many of the problems for the mountain peoples in Thailand are caused by the discrimination against these groups. They are considered by the majority of Thais to be undeveloped and to cause the drug problems. Most local politicians in the provinces where the mountain peoples live often campaign against their presence and spread unfounded prejudices about these populations. They are regularly expelled from their land and Thai citizenship is also taken away. The only thing the mountain peoples are often good for is to serve as an attraction for tourists. Fortunately, the latter are positive developments and many can keep their heads above water and build a better life by selling arts and crafts.