@phdthesis{Nawichai2008, author = {Nawichai, Patcharin}, title = {Ethnic Group Livelihood Strategies and State Integration: Moken and the Hill People in Negotiation with the State}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:739-opus-12456}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Passau}, year = {2008}, abstract = {In the past Moken and Hill people held little attraction for external actors like the state because they live in the periphery areas. Thereby, they could maintain their common way of life. However, as a result of the emergence of national security as relevant issue, resulting from communist insurgencies, opium cultivation and migration, and conservation awareness due to rapid degradation of natural resources in connection with shifting cultivation, deforestation and over exploitation, the Moken and hill people came into the focus of the state. One of the first measures a state takes when integrating new regions is registering the population and trying to control their activities. Registration provides the possibility to become Thai citizen and thereby receive civil rights common to the Thais. But integration into Thai society implies integration into the state administration as well as the economy. The Moken and hill people face new circumstances that have a far reaching impact on their livelihood. The perspectives of proper practices as seen by the state contrast with the views of the ethnic minorities. For example the policies of environment protection prohibit traditional practices like gathering sea snails in the case of the Moken, or shifting cultivation as practiced by most hill people. Consequently, the people have to find ways to cope with new situations. One means is to readily adapt to the administrative regulations. More common is, however, to negotiate, which means to find and define arenas and spaces. This study focuses mainly on how the Moken and hill people apply the issues of citizenship, space and ethnic identity to negotiate with the state in order to maintain their livelihood. It is found that in negotiation with the state, the hill people want to be accepted as Thai and try to establish a positive image instead of being seen as destroyers of the environment, drug producers, uneducated, etc. This attempt to be seen as Thai is accompanied by the demand for recognition of cultural differences. This might be due to the fact that for the hill people it is important to distinguish themselves from other minorities within the same region. In the case of the Moken this interest to establish a positive image is far less pronounced. This is possibly because they are not seen as a threat as the hill people, but only as stupid and primitive. They do not attempt to obliterate the stereotypes of being poor and stupid people because it facilitates avoidance of regulations and provides exceptional treatment. In the same time, they also want to be recognized as Thai to have equal right as the majority.}, subject = {Nationale Minderheit}, language = {en} }