Abstract

This article analyses territorialization 'from-above' and 'from-below' in Kamoethway, Tanintharyi Region in relation to the public authorities of the Karen National Union (KNU) and changing Myanmar governments. Fieldwork in Karen villages of the Kamoethway area details how community-based organizations and community leaders organized a social movement, documented situated knowledge, and claimed rights to govern territory locally including resources and land, which we term 'territorialization-from-below'. We analyze how strategies of resistance, consent and co-option empowered Kamoethway communities after the 2012 ceasefire. However, following the 2021 coup, while KNU's public authority expanded, community-based activism reduced due to the ongoing conflict, KNU security policies, and restrictions on civil freedoms.

Keywords: Territorialization, Public authority, community empowerment, resource governance, Tanintharyi Region

How to Cite:

Law, N. P. & Middleton, C., (2026) “Territorialization-from-below: Community-rooted strategies towards public authority in Kamoethway, Myanmar”, Journal of Political Ecology 33(1): 8618. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.8618