The ‘Karen Consensus’, Ethnic Politics and Resource-Use Legitimacy in Northern Thailand

Recent Thai research on Karen ethnicity and resource management places significant emphasis on rotational shifting cultivation (rai mun wian) . A broad consensus has emerged that this is a relatively sustainable, ecologically friendly and subsistence-oriented form of agriculture that is threatened by the recent intrusion of the state and the market. This paper argues that the portrayals encompassed by this 'Karen consensus' rely on overly selective accounts of Karen economy and, in particular, play down the historical importance of long-term agricultural intensification and commercial exchange. While recognizing the importance of establishing the legitimacy of upland communities in a context of tenure insecurity and resource conflict, the paper argues that the 'limited legitimacy' of the 'Karen consensus' runs the risk of undermining Karen claims for a greater share of natural resources and development assistance.