The Burmese traffic-jam explored: Changing dynamics and ambiguous reforms

Abstract

Burma/Myanmar has been the epicenter of human trafficking and unsafe migration in mainland Southeast Asia. While “root causes” of trafficking are always complex, clearly, counter-productive agricultural and tax policies, political repression, military actions, and widespread human rights violations are heavily implicated in the underlying political ecology of trafficking/unsafe migration. Burma has been the embodiment of an “ethnocratic state,” in that the majority ethnic group in the country seeks to both dominate and exclude minorities. One result is that ethnic minorities have been disproportionately represented among irregular migrants and those most at risk of trafficking. Today, reforms are taking place in Burma. An eager international community embraces an optimism that may be the triumph of hope over experience. Yet Aung San Suu Kyi has warned of the dangers of “reckless optimism.” This paper examines the dynamics of trafficking in Burma and the possible implications of the current reform process.