Country: China

Group: Pumi/Primi

Date Finalized: 10/23/20

Team: Abi Pentecost (lead), Maya Shrikant, Ethan Pelland

Content Warning: forced labor; “domestic” slavery

Approximate Time Period: 1300-1911

The People’s Republic of China recognizes the Pumi (or Primi) as a nomadic Tibetan ethnic minority nationality with about 30,000 members in the Yunnan province (Harrell, 2004). After settling in Yunnan province in the 14th century, Pumi occupied farming roles and tilled land that was owned by a small number of local landlords in Lanping and Lijiang counties (Mair, 2011). This system allowed for the labor of the smaller farmers to be taken advantage of. According to one account, the landlords “exploited peasants by extorting rent in kind, that accounted for at least 50% of the harvest” (Hays, 2015). Additionally, there is brief mention of the existence of forced labor systems in landlords and chiefs “traded domestic slaves” (FMPRC, 2004). According to other state-run sources, the 1949 Cultural Revolution in China weakened the power of landlords and has led to an increase in the prosperity of the Pumi ethnic minority.

We would rate the data quality as a 1 for this ethnic group. The majority of sources that were available consisted of blogs or sources run by the Chinese state and thus lack credibility and formal peer review. Based upon the available information, the Pumi ethnic group did experience forms of forced agricultural labor. Finally, due to sparse and unreliable information, it is unclear whether this group is still subject to discrimination through labor systems.

Sources

  1. Hays, J. (2015, July). PUMI MINORITY. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat5/sub87/entry-4386.html
  2. Harrell, S. (2004). Ways of Being Ethnic in Southwest China. The China Journal, 52, 125-127. doi:10.2307/4127893
  3. Mair, V. (2011). A Story of the Pumi of Yunnan. In 1003093873 773429648 M. Bender (Author), Columbia Anthology of Chinese Folk and Popular Literature (pp. 56-57). New York City, NY: Columbia University Press.
  4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (FMPRC). (2004, May 17). The Pumi ethnic minority. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/ceee/eng/zggk/mz/t109297.htm