Missio-tourism among ethnic Karen in Thailand : A bridge to empowerment, development and self-determination or promotion of assistencialism?

This chapter explores the impact the concept of missio-tourism has on ethnic Karen communities along the central part of Thai-Myanmar border. In many instances, the aims of the short-term mission (STM) teams are to assist in the development of impoverished rural ethnic communities. In considering the interrelationship of these STM teams and development of ethnic Karen communities, it is useful to explore meanings attributed to the wider constructs of missio-tourism and ethnodevelopment. The chapter analyses critically impact the activities of Christian short-term missions has on development and empowerment of ethnic Karen communities along the Thai–Myanmar border. The ethnic Karen community in this place are largely undocumented refugees and migrants who have built up the migrant learning centre (MLC) on non-tenured land over several years with donor funds. The support to ethnic Karen community has contributed to mitigate the effects of an existing asymmetrical development that negatively imposes harsh living conditions on these people in Myanmar by the previous authoritarian regime.

© Routledge, 2017.