Chak people
Community in Bangladesh and Burma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chaks (Chak: চাক Chak pronunciation: [tʃak]) or (Chak: သက် Chak pronunciation: [θɛʔ]), are a community inhabiting the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, northeastern states of India. In Myanmar, they are known as Thet people classified under Rakhine subgroup. The Chak people are not officially recognized by the Myanmar government.[3]
Myanmar6,000
Bangladesh4,000[1]Sak | |
|---|---|
 Chak women (Thet) in Myanmar | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Myanmar | 6,000 |
| Bangladesh | 4,000[1] |
| Languages | |
| Sak language[2] | |
| Religion | |
| Theravada Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Kadu | |
History
By the mid-13th century, the Saks had diverged from the Kadu people, who now reside in northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing Region.[4] The Chaks entered the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the 14th century after their kingdom was overrun by the Arakanese. Despite this, there are still Chaks living in Arakan.[5]
Thet people
The Chak people are called Thet (Burmese: သက်) in Myanmar. They are considered a subgroup of the Rakhine people under Myanmar's 1982 ethnicity law.[6][7] According to Arakanese regional media organisations, that there were nearly 6,000 ethnic Thet in Myanmar with 3,000-4,000 in Rakhine State alone.[8][9]