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Originally Posted by Antonio Cejunior
Hi Mark,
Indeed, and as a Portuguese from Asia, I am very touched by this. At this historical distance it is of the utmost importance for the world to, in total honesty acknowledge the importance of the Portuguese and to further study the travels of Fernão Mendes Pinto, classified as an adventurer but whose life would make one big movie as sometimes reality transcends fiction.
I happen to finished scanning some photographs of that community in Burma that you mention.
I hope you and everyone else interested can find the Bayingyi of the River Mu a living proof of that miscigenation.
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The Bayingyi from those I've come across are on the whole mainly distinct by religion alone . They are in all other respects not just Burmese but culturally Bama . Some have distinguishing features like a caucasian nose or are generally of taller , sturdier build or sometimes just hairier than the average Burmese . There are many more Buddhist Burmese who come from the Mu valley and surrounding areas who have distinctly caucasoid features who will no doubt not even be aware that they have Portugese genes.
Burma is a land of great diversity and mixed ethnicity and near enough 400 years has passed . Most Bama are mixed with war captives whether they be Mon , Shan , Lao , Lanna , Siamese , Portugese or Manipuri . At one time a fifth of Ava was populated by war captives .
They are a great example of tolerance from a society and compassion from monarchs . Given the era at which this relocation of war captives occurred and the length of time which has passed , a similar situation in Europe would be unthinkable ( I would imagine forced conversion to Christianity and a brutal suppression of identity ) .