How did the 2012 ceasefire&economic liberalisation period of 2011-2018 shape new forms of structural violence&resistance in rural southeast Myanmar?

This research will explore how the strategies employed by rural people in southeast Myanmar to mitigate state-led domination during the darkest days of armed conflict and military rule evolved to resist new forms of structural violence catalysed by economic liberalisation and ceasefire. I will develop an analytical framework will provide concepts with which to a) describe the form and key dynamics of the violence of the Myanmar state, and b) to explain the individual acts and patterns of resistance of those that suffer from the violent manifestations of this state power. The research contributes to the peace studies literature by bringing resistance into the discussion of challenging structural violence in conflict or post-conflict contexts, which is often compartmentalised as 'local politics' that can be squared away .

The data collection for this research is based on already-existing data published by a local human rights organisation - including anonymised transcribed interviews, situation updates and testimony from villagers in southeast Myanmar. While content analysis will be the primary data collection method, there is scope for interviews with key informants working in communities and civil society in the southeast of Myanmar, but currently based in Thailand. I will keep the possibility of this fieldwork method open as an option in order to triangulate, clarify and enrich some of this data if needed.