The Karens are an ethnic group residing primarily in Burma who have faced persecution and been forcibly displaced. After the formation of the Karen National Union in 1947, the Burmese army attacked Karen communities, killing and torturing people. Over 550,000 to 800,000 Karens have fled violence and been displaced within Burma. Many have migrated to refugee camps along the Thai-Burmese border where they face disease and lack of rights. The Karens' language and lack of power have left them without a political voice and ignored by the international community despite their ongoing suffering.

1. Forcibly
Displaced
Karens
Halamgul Farhad, ICP111

2. Karens
• A number of Sino-Tibetan
language speaking ethnic
groups which reside
primarily in Karen
State, southern and
southeastern Burma_
Farmers
• 7 percent of the total
Burmese population
• A large number has
migrated to
Thailand, mostly reside on
the Thai–Karen
border, elsewhere_ US and

3. • In 1947, the Karen National Union (KNU) was
formed .
• Burma was granted independence in January
1948
– Karens held leading positions
• In January 1949, some governmental militias
went on a rampage through Karen
communities
• After that they army loots, burns, rapes and
kills the Karen community 
• Karens insurgents again the government

4. Fieldwork in Non-ceasefire War Zones
• Thai-Burmese border zones “ in
between space” explores the nexus
between written
language, intelligibility, and qualified
voice in order to examine the Karen
people as unqualified political
subjects in a quotidian theater of the
displaced

5. • Killed, burned, force displaced by Burmese army
• December 2004 between 550 thousand and 800
thousand people have been forcibly displaced
“inside” the country.
– No political right, no voice, no value to their lives
– they flee to jungle _ eat whatever is available roots or
plants….
– Seek for safety elsewhere
• Consequently, many indigenous people have fled
to Thai-Burmese state boundary “Temporary
Shelter Area”
What has been happening?

6. Not globally known issue: Language
Problem:
• Their language is not spoken or understood
widely
• They don’t speak other famous language
• Intelligible speech because of language
proficiency
• Their “voice” are not considered. “beings
without qualified voices”

7. Continued…
• Their suffering have rarely
been accounted by the
international community.
– Mostly disclosed or ignore
– Many have been killed and
tortured
– KNU is fighting
• Not recognized as political
subject

8. Why they can’t live in Thai-side?
• Animist
– Their sense of rootedness to the land and the spirits
of the land tie them to their native soil
• Farmer:
– They are not allow to farm at Thai-side
• There are not treated well at “the camp”
– Diseases (diarrhea, Malaria)
According to KNU, the Karens want to return to or
remain in the land they call Kawthoolei, which means
“pleasant,” “plentiful,” “peaceful.” The land of
Kawthoolei is “a lafree of all evils, famine, misery and
strife.”

9. - Scapes of Appadurai
• Ethnoscape: No human rights
• Techno-scape: No electricity 
influence?
• Ideoscape: cannot read
• Mediascape: No voice
• Financescape: No money

10. Land Mines_ Human disaster:
• “Eastern Burma is one of the most landmine
contaminated places in the world.”2012
• Laid by government and rebellions
– In jungle, agricultural land, villages
– Most of casualties are civilian, about 90%.
• 2000km , Almost 70 % Thai- Burmese border
• Feb- April 4, about 52 people have lost limbs
• 3,349 casualties in Burma, 1999 to 2012 – including
319 death
• Prosthetic Limbs – Mae Tao Clinic
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNFd8Ozi43A

11. Conclusion
• As unqualified political subjects, the Karens
have been excluded from statist forms of
politics. Their histories and memories have
been discounted, and their voices, bodies, and
actions have been made imperceptible
• Something has to be don’t to make their
suffrage visible to the international
community.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jGQ6iqr
fHs