Public authority and legitimacy in land and forest resources governance in the salween peace park

This thesis examines the governance of land and forest resources in the Salween Peace Park (SPP), located in Kawthoolei (Karen State), Burma. The thesis specifically focuses on a village, referred to as P’ Saw Lu village, by conceptualizing “public authority.” It explores the production of public authority and legitimacy from the two coexisting governing systems within the SPP: the Karen National Union (KNU) as a state-like actor and the customary Kaw. The data analysis of this thesis is based on data collected in P’ Saw Lu village through four in-depth interviews with key informants, six individual interviews with villagers, two focus group discussions, four key informants, participatory observation, and community mapping, as well as secondary sources. The findings reveal that land and forest governance in P’ Saw Lu village of the SPP is shaped by both the KNU and customary Kaw institutions. While the KNU exercises formal structures through bureaucratic departments like the KFD and KAD, the customary system exercises public authority through traditional structures, the Kaw governance. Public authority is produced through daily practices of various actors, including the KNU’s officials, such as the KFD and KAD authorities, village head and area administrator, and customary leaders, such as Kaw Hko, elders, and skilled diviners. Public authority is dynamic, continuously emerging through negotiation and cooperation among the practices of these different actors in the governance of land and forest. Beyond land and forest governance, public authority is also produced through contestation between the KNU and customary institutions, particularly in the provision of public services. The legitimacy of the KNU is rooted in the “legal-rational” and “charismatic” legitimate authority, while customary Kaw’s legitimacy is based on traditional authority. Additionally, Christianization has gradually shifted the basis of customary Kaw governance legitimacy from spiritual to environmental or communal motivations. This thesis argues that public authority over land and forest governance in the SPP, particularly P’ Saw Lu village, is co-produced through negotiation, cooperation, and contestation between the KNU and customary Kaw institutions, reflecting a plural and evolving landscape of legitimacy. It suggests that KNU’s legitimacy is reinforced when its rules align with indigenous norms.