Chak people
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 | |
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]
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]
References
- ^ "Bangladesh Language Diversity | Beyond Bangla: Why Bangladesh's other languages matter | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
- ^ Ethnologue
- ^ "Chak" (PDF). ASIA HARVEST. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- ^ Ping, He (2006). "Rise and fall of Kantu: A historical study of an ancient Tibeto-Burmese speaking group". Frontiers of History in China. 1 (4): 535–543. doi:10.1007/s11462-006-0018-9. ISSN 1673-3401.
- ^ Saradindu Shekhar Chakma (2006). Ethnic Cleansing in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Dhaka: Ankur Prakashani. p. 38. OCLC 762756954.
- ^ Composition of the Different Ethnic Groups under the 8 Major National Ethnic Races in Myanmar Embassy of Myanmar in Belgium.
- ^ Ethnicity without Meaning, Data without Context: The 2014 Census, Identity and Citizenship in Burma/Myanmar Transnational Institute and Burma Centrum Nederland
- ^ "Ethnic Thet People Fear a Fading Identity". Burma News International. Retrieved 2025-12-01.