ASAA Southeast Asia Publications Series. Singapore: National University of Singapore Press [distributed by University of Chicago Press], 2024. US$40.00, paper; US$48.00, ebook. ISBN 9789813252691.
This engaging ethnographic monograph is set in Hpa-an, the capital of Karen State in Myanmar, and explores the everyday moral practices of the Plong people (also known as Pwo Karen). Hpa-an has long been a contested area where both ethnic opposition forces and the state military have operated. Since the 1980s, it has also become a key point of transnational mobility, especially across the border into Thailand. The author aims to demonstrate that, in this context, the pursuit of morality is “varied, performative, and embedded in an affective notion of the self as a moral agent, in a relationship with wider structural political forces” (2).
Earlier studies in the same area, dating back to the 1960s, primarily focused on religious activities within the structural framework of ethnic minority status vis-à-vis the state and majority. These studies often interpreted such activities either as reactions to marginalization or as expressions of historically rooted ethnic traditions. In contrast, the author shifts the focus away from structural positioning or cultural distinctiveness, and instead examines how individuals—across gender, age, and location—actively navigate their pursuit of morality while engaging with multiple layers of power. This ethnographic approach was made possible by the region’s relative accessibility during the brief period from 2012 until the military coup in 2021, and the author makes excellent use of this opportunity. While the theme of morality has seen significant theoretical development in anthropology in recent years, it emerges here organically through grounded fieldwork in a context marked by shifting and intersecting forms of power and authority as well as cross-border economic migration becoming an increasingly common livelihood strategy.
Following an introductory chapter outlining the research questions, key concepts, and methodology, chapter 1 introduces the local setting. It describes the physical landscape, the historical contours of power and authority, and how these shape daily life, while also discussing the discursive salience of ethnic categories. Chapter 2 presents the case of a local “Buddhist strongman” to show how conflicting moral frameworks coexist within the “merit-power” nexus, juxtaposing Buddhist merit-making with illicit wealth accumulation. This case illustrates how moral striving is not merely an individual endeavour but is also shaped by social perception and relational dynamics.
Chapters 3 and 4 shift focus to the younger generation. Chapter 3 explores how village-based moral frameworks of mutual dependence are being challenged by increasing transborder mobility, which brings in new aspirations and values. It highlights the dilemmas young people face as they seek education and broader opportunities while also feeling the moral obligation to fulfill filial duties. Chapter 4 examines the gendered dimensions of moral striving, portraying how young women grapple with career aspirations, family expectations, and community norms. They negotiate moral frameworks in ways that are both personally meaningful and socially acceptable within conflicting visions of moral selfhood.
Chapter 5 turns to an esoteric Plong Buddhist movement, emphasizing the central role of the Buddhist concept of thila among its adherents. Despite scrutiny from mainstream Buddhist authorities and skepticism from outsiders, followers see their moral practices as a means to influence their life paths and sustain Plong society, even as they lament its perceived decline. Their practices inform the overall understanding of possible moral paths among local Plong Buddhists.
Having unpacked internal dynamics of moral striving, chapter 6 addresses how these dynamics manifest in exclusionary ways toward others, particularly Muslims. Local leaders and residents, themselves long oppressed as ethnic minorities, are shown to be aligning with the state and Buddhist nationalist forces in a process of Plong identity-making that marginalizes others. This chapter offers a complex and unsettling look at how moral self-understandings can intersect with larger political currents.
The final chapter reflects on the moral significance of participation in the civil disobedience movement (CDM) following the February 2021 military coup. The author concludes the book by stating that moral subjectivity in everyday ethical engagement is shaped by “religious teachings, local community frameworks, the teachings of elders, Karen nationalist ideals, state discourses and political processes” (169).
The book is highly readable throughout. I particularly appreciated the two chapters on local youth, where the subjectivities of the interlocutors are most vividly brought to life. As the author notes, such narratives “resonate with ethnographies of young people around the world traversing social mores and tradition” (115), yet the rich ethnographic detail makes the specific historical and local textures of Plong society in Hpa-an come alive. Through these portrayals, readers come to understand not only moral dilemmas but also broader social transformations taking place in the region.
Since the author emphasizes reflexivity and positionality in relation to her interlocutors, the narrative could benefit from deeper reflection on how her own presence—as a young woman from another part of the world—may have influenced the dialogues and relationships she cultivated.
The chapter on Buddhist nationalism is the one place where the author’s otherwise nuanced approach to multiplicity seems to give way to a more structural account of power. One wonders whether alternative moral subjectivities might have existed in this context as well, or whether such possibilities were entirely foreclosed.
Nevertheless, this is a compelling and richly textured ethnography that illuminates the lived experiences of minority people on the margins of a militarized state. It situates their pursuit of morality within both broader political contexts and individual subjectivities, offering an insightful exploration of moral life in a rapidly changing world. Through finely tuned ethnographic attention, the book helps us imagine the possible and desirable futures of those—particularly the next generation—living in complex and precarious circumstances.
Yoko Hayami
Kyoto University, Kyoto