Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine the current situation of development (phattana) targeting the Mlabri, who are the only known (post-)nomadic hunter-gatherers in Northern Thailand, in order to explore why the development efforts have not met with much success. Unlike the other well-known hill tribes (chao khao), the Mlabri finally caught the eye of the Thai government in the mid-1980s when the hill tribe problems (panha chao khao) were settled. Because of this historical fact, we need a new viewpoint totally different from what the previous studies have discussed. In my own fieldwork among the Mlabri, I have found that their development has a remarkable feature, “unending development.” It is interesting to note that development is hampered not only by Thai officials but also by a neighboring ethnic group, the Hmong, and even the Mlabri themselves. This paper tries to explore the historical background peculiar to the Mlabri and to examine why their development does not have an end, by focusing on the different actors and their concerns.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 205-236 |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| Journal | Japanese Journal of Southeast Asian Studies |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 Jan 1 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Development
- Hill tribes
- Hmong
- Mlabri
- Northern Thailand
- Thai officials
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Development
- Political Science and International Relations
Cite this
Unending development : An analysis of the current status of development targeting post-nomadic hunter-gatherers the Mlabri. / Nimonjiya, Shu.
In: Japanese Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 54, No. 2, 01.01.2017, p. 205-236.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Unending development
T2 - An analysis of the current status of development targeting post-nomadic hunter-gatherers the Mlabri
AU - Nimonjiya, Shu
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - The aim of this paper is to examine the current situation of development (phattana) targeting the Mlabri, who are the only known (post-)nomadic hunter-gatherers in Northern Thailand, in order to explore why the development efforts have not met with much success. Unlike the other well-known hill tribes (chao khao), the Mlabri finally caught the eye of the Thai government in the mid-1980s when the hill tribe problems (panha chao khao) were settled. Because of this historical fact, we need a new viewpoint totally different from what the previous studies have discussed. In my own fieldwork among the Mlabri, I have found that their development has a remarkable feature, “unending development.” It is interesting to note that development is hampered not only by Thai officials but also by a neighboring ethnic group, the Hmong, and even the Mlabri themselves. This paper tries to explore the historical background peculiar to the Mlabri and to examine why their development does not have an end, by focusing on the different actors and their concerns.
AB - The aim of this paper is to examine the current situation of development (phattana) targeting the Mlabri, who are the only known (post-)nomadic hunter-gatherers in Northern Thailand, in order to explore why the development efforts have not met with much success. Unlike the other well-known hill tribes (chao khao), the Mlabri finally caught the eye of the Thai government in the mid-1980s when the hill tribe problems (panha chao khao) were settled. Because of this historical fact, we need a new viewpoint totally different from what the previous studies have discussed. In my own fieldwork among the Mlabri, I have found that their development has a remarkable feature, “unending development.” It is interesting to note that development is hampered not only by Thai officials but also by a neighboring ethnic group, the Hmong, and even the Mlabri themselves. This paper tries to explore the historical background peculiar to the Mlabri and to examine why their development does not have an end, by focusing on the different actors and their concerns.
KW - Development
KW - Hill tribes
KW - Hmong
KW - Mlabri
KW - Northern Thailand
KW - Thai officials
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U2 - 10.20495/tak.54.2_205
DO - 10.20495/tak.54.2_205
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85011422389
VL - 54
SP - 205
EP - 236
JO - Japanese Journal of Southeast Asian Studies
JF - Japanese Journal of Southeast Asian Studies
SN - 0563-8682
IS - 2
ER -