Karen Nationalist Communities: The 'Problem' of Diversity

This essay describes how, since the colonial period, different actors in and from Burma (Myanmar) have mobilized political support around sometimes competing notions of Karen ethno-nationalism. Christian elites in particular have sought to impose a homogenous idea of ‘Karen-ness’ on this diverse society. These concepts and processes have been legitimized by outsiders, including missionaries and (more recently) human rights activists and aid workers. However, attempts to impose Karen unity from above have often proved divisive in practice, and have helped to fuel sixty years of ethnic conflict in Burma. The essay describes the re-emergence of civil society networks within and between Karen communities over the past decade. It concludes by sketching the outlines of a consociational approach to the problem of Karen ‘unity in diversity’