Living at the Edge of Thai Society ─ The Karen in the Highlands of Northern Thailand

The Karen are one of the major ethnic minority groups in the Himalayan highlands, living predominantly in the border area between Thailand and Burma. As the largest ethnic minority in Thailand, they have often been in conflict with the Thai majority. This book is the first major ethnographic and anthropological study of the Karen for over a decade and looks at such key issues as history, ethnic identity, religious change, the impact of government intervention, education land management and gender relations.

Claudio Delang has been working and conducting fieldwork in Thailand since 1996. His publications include Suffering in Silence: The Human Rights Nightmare of the Karen People in Burma and Deforestation in Northern Thailand: the Result of Hmong Farming Practices of Thai Development Strategies?