Behind the Scenes: Smuggling in the Thailand-Myanmar Borderland

This study shines light on behind-the-scenes informal economic activities in the Thailand-Myanmar borderland, with a focus on unauthorized riverbank Burmese merchants, the cross-border movement of goods, and the nexus of ethnic politics and border trade. Although unauthorized trade is labeled as “smuggling” by the state, it is withi chiwit, a “way of life,” for Burmese merchants on the riverbank and even recognized by local state agencies. The decision to smuggle is made rationally and deliberately by the merchants as part of their life trajectories, while smuggled goods cater to the needs of local people and are deeply integrated into the economy of the border towns. The cross-border movement of goods by boat also demonstrates that informal ways are still alive and facilitating border trade. It further shows that the ordering of the border is not entirely regulated by state agencies but by other social groups as well, notably ethnic groups.

幕后：泰国-缅甸边境的走私活动

关键词:　边境贸易，生活方式，幕后，非正式，正式，缅泰边境

本研究探究了泰-缅边界的地下的非正式经济活动，重点考察未经官方许可在江河岸边交易的缅甸商人、跨边境货品流动以及民族族群政治和边境贸易之间的关联。尽管政府把未经许可的贸易称为“走私”，但在江河岸边的缅甸商人的眼中，它却是withi chiwit—一种生活方式，甚至得到地方政府官员的承认。走私活动是商人们理性和审慎地做出的决定，是他们本身生活轨迹的一部分，而走私的货物可以满足当地人民的需要，高度整合到了边境城镇的经济之中。货品通过船运进行跨边界流动，这也表明非正式的贸易方法仍广泛存在，辅助边境贸易进行。它还进一步展示出边境的秩序并非完全被政府部门机构规管，其它的社会群体也参与规管，其中少数民族族群尤为突出。

Translated from English by Li Guo