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Burma / Myanmar: Lahu New Year, 1987; Lahu hill tribesman in Communist Party of Burma (CPB) territory

The Communist Party of Burma (Burmese: ဗမာပြည်ကွန်မြူနစ်ပါတီ; CPB) is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China. It is often referred to as the Burma Communist Party (BCP) by both the Burmese government and the foreign media.

The Lahu (Ladhulsi or Kawzhawd; La Hủ) are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia and China.

They are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where about 450,000 live in Yunnan province. An estimated 150,000 live in Burma. In Thailand, Lahu are one of the six main hill tribes; their population is estimated at around 100,000. The Tai often refer to them by the exonym 'Mussur' or hunter. About 10,000 live in Laos. They are one of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, where about 1,500 live in Lai Chau province.

The Lahu divide themselves into a number of subgroups, such as the Lahu Na (Black Lahu), Lahu Nyi (Red Lahu), Lahu Hpu (White Lahu), Lahu Shi (Yellow Lahu) and the Lahu Shehleh. Where a subgroup name refers to a color, it refers to the traditional color of their dress.