Tai-Leng People

The Tai Leng of Myanmar, numbering 100,000, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are part of the Tai people cluster within the Southeast Asian Peoples affinity bloc. This people group is only found in Myanmar. Their primary language is Shan. The primary religion practiced by the Tai Leng is Theravada Buddhism, the oldest surviving branch of Buddhism.
Affinity Group: Asian Pacific Rim Peoples

Affinity Bloc: Southeast Asian Peoples

People Cluster: Tai

Language: Shan – (shn)

Alternate Name(s):

Primary Religion: Buddhism – Theravada

Country: Myanmar

Also found in:

Population: 100,000

Global Population: 100,000

Progress of the Gospel: Unengaged and Unreached

Global Status of Evangelical Christianity: Less than 2% Evangelical, No Active CP Activity

Bible Translations: Available

Jesus Film: Available

Gospel Recordings: Available

Radio Broadcast: Not Available

Tai Loi, also known as Mong Lue, refers to various Palaungic languages spoken mainly in Burma, with a few hundred in Laos and some also in China. Hall (2017) reports that Tai Loi is a cover term meaning ‘mountain Tai’ in Shan, and refers to various Angkuic, Waic, and Western Palaungic languages rather than a single language or branch. The Shan exonym Tai Loi can refer to:

Western Palaungic branch: De’ang
Lametic branch: Lamet
Angkuic branch: Muak Sa-aak, Mok
Waic branch
Wa: Meung Yum, Savaiq, etc.
Plang: Phang, Kontoi, Pang Pung, etc.
Additionally, Ethnologue (21st edition),[2] citing Schliesinger (2003), lists Doi as a Tai Loi variety in Ban Muang, Sing District, Luang Namtha Province, Laos as a nearly extinct language variety spoken by an ethnic group comprising 600 people and 80 households as of 2003. Schliesinger (2003) reports that elderly Doi speakers can understand the Samtao language.