Secular and Religious Sanctuaries Interfaces of Humanitarianism and Self-Government of Karen Refugee-Migrants in Thai-Burmese Border Spaces by Alexander Horstmann
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Abstract
This review examines Alexander Horstmann’s anthropological study, Secular and Religious Sanctuaries: Interfaces of Humanitarianism and Self-Government of Karen Refugee-Migrants in Thai-Burmese Border Spaces. At its core, the study investigates the work of humanitarian organizations—both secular and religious—alongside social support networks, and their role in sustaining, protecting, and shielding Karen villagers from the devastating conflict in eastern Myanmar. It offers a critical perspective on these refugees, reflecting the author’s long-standing research interest in power, hegemony, and the arts of resistance against the repressive state. Through an analysis of the structures of religious and secular human rights missions in the border regions, the study pays particular attention to power structures that often remain largely invisible, operating beyond the reach of state surveillance. It also discusses the subtle distinction between the secular and the religious, highlighting how the two domains overlap within the framework of humanitarian aid.
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