ABSTRACT
This final chapter follows up on the question raised in chapter 7: if parahita as a concept is primarily located in Bamar/Buddhist performative norms, what are the implications for wider discourses on citizenship in Myanmar, with its multiplicity of ethnic, religious and linguistic identities? Returning to James Scott and the conditions of the 1920’s and 1930’s, rural welfare organizations were quickly absorbed into nationalist movements which rallied around radical Buddhist causes, including the Saya San Rebellion. This chapter asks whether a similar trajectory is likely with the contemporary forms of village welfare organizations. The chapter, and the book, conclude with observations on possible ways in which the current, emergent form of ‘moral economy’ in rural areas could contribute to a richer dialogue on citizenship, welfare and plural society in Myanmar.
