Assistant professor The politics over mountain space: The struggle of the discourses in the historiography about the ethnic groups in the highland of Northern Thailand

Abstract

This article uses a historical approach and attempts to illustrate the emergence and the struggle of a variety of discourses in the historiography about the ethnic groups in the highland of Northern Thailand with related to the political, economic, and social context in each period. And the conditions that make the ethnic groups on the highland of Northern Thailand do not get legal unfairness at the present time. In the data section will focus on criticism of relevant documents.

            The study found that the discourses about the ethnic groups in the highland of Northern Thailand from the perspective of the political elites or state appears from Pre-Modern era. At this time, positive aspect was given to these ethnic groups. But when the context of Thai society began to change. The definition of the elites or the state begin to shift towards the creation of negative discourses for ethnic groups in the highland of Northern Thailand. However, since the early 1977s, the Counter Mainstream Historiography was written in response to the discourses of the government to create a fairness for ethnic groups in the highland of Northern Thailand. But with the context of the concept of the state space, reducing the role of NGOs, and the current political dictatorship. It has become a hindrance for ethnic groups in the Northern Highlands do not get legal unfairness.