Karen Ethnic Armed Groups, Economic Development, and Peace on the Thailand-Myanmar Frontier

Kwanchewan Buadaeng

the Karen ； Ethnic Armed Groups (EAGs) ； Thai-Myanmar Frontier ； Economic Development

台灣東南亞學刊

15卷1期（2020 / 04 / 01）

7 - 32

英文

The Thailand-Myanmar frontier has been a war zone in which the Karen among other ethnic groups has organized their armies to fight against the Burmese army for almost 70 years. This protracted war has caused countless injuries, deaths, handicaps, displacements, and refugees. However, under the context of economic regionalization in the last two decades, the frontier has been developed to become an industrial and commercial zone with a high volume of border trade. With the change in its political system, the Myanmar government in 2015 initiated the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, which was signed by major Ethnic Armed Groups (EAGs), to have greater peace and more opportunities for economic development. The questions now are to what extent do the Karen EAGs benefit from this economic development, what are new tensions, and will the peace be sustained. Based on research conducted in 2017-2018 on the frontier of Tak Province of Thailand and the Karen State of Myanmar, this article demonstrates that the Karen EAGs have not shared the benefits of economic development equally. Those controlling more potential areas gain more benefit. Moreover, the infrastructure and industrial development that has taken place has led to the destruction of the environment which negatively impacts the daily life of people who rely on natural resources. Thus, tensions arise either among EAGs or between EAGs and frontier people. This article argues that economic development at the Thailand-Myanmar frontier has increased tensions among many parties and is likely to make peace unsustainable.

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