ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the influence of village sovereignty, moral narratives, supernaturalism or spirit-law, Christianity, and Karen National Union (KNU) law on the definition of harms and maintenance of order in Southeast Burma. It also traces the extent to which these various sources of authority have been imported into the refugee camps. The chapter considers the impact of changing frames of governance on perceptions of harm and wrongdoing, focusing on attitudes towards monogamy and a belief in one husband, one wife. The earliest English language descriptions of Karen village life and governance are found in the writings of Christian missionaries to Burma. The Karen Women Organization (KWO) found that female leaders continued to be targeted by Burma Army forces, and reported witnessing or experiencing horrendous abuses. Even though refugees stay in Thailand, every ethnic group has their own culture, values and expectations. For Karen, the practice only one husband, one wife. So their tradition is becoming lost.
