วิทยาลัยพระคริสตธรรมกะเหรี่ยงและประสบการณ์ของ เยาวชนในค่ายผู้ลี้ภัยบริเวณพรมแดนไทย-พม่า

Abstract

This research focuses on ethno-nationalist schooling in a Lee Saw Hsee College (LSSC) where located in Thu Mweh Khee refugee camp and being dominated by an ethnic group called Karen who were exiled by civil war. It is a quantitative research and using participate observation method for data collection which took 3 months to complete. The researcher had stayed at the seminary as a student in order to participate in classes and extra-curriculum activities for the whole period of data collection. My argument is the seminary cannot continuous similar pattern to implant Karen ethno-nationalism schooling because this refugee camp is considered to be the ‘exceptional zone’. To illustrate, the camp is located in Thai territory while being developed by NGOs but Karen Refugee Committee (KRC) acts as Karen National Union (KNU)’s shadow organization to protect refugee’s rights and benefits. Therefore, no organization holds absolute govern power in this space neither in the dimension of education management. Hence, the institution provide schooling to serve their own agenda of raising ethno-nationalism consciousness among students. However, there are various factors from outside the camp impact to decrease intensity of ethno-nationalism implanting in teaching and lessons.Meanwhile, the interpersonal networking of college’s director is extending because improving conditions of transportation and internet connection lead to deeper-rooted engagement with international Christian communities. On the other hand, the involvement of such communities results in reducing intensity of ethno-nationalism schooling by accepting foreign volunteers. Moreover, each Karen lecturers also has different levels of royalty and intension to serve their imaginary homeland, Kaw Thoo Lei from different sets of nationalism and religious experiences. In addition, the students who are from Burma and borderland have different notions of serving God and imaginary homeland. This causes by having different nationalism and religious experiences before attending this college, and assembling with various factors during their study. As the result, they define role of Karen missionary differently.