Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Maps and Illustrations
- List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction – Heritage, State, and Politics
- 2 Making the Past (Dis)appear: Heritage as Legitimacy in (Re)creating Luang Prabang
- 3 Hmong (Forever) on the Margins: Crypto-Separatism and the Making of Ethnic Difference
- 4 One World: One Dream: Voices of Pessimism, Strategies of Pragmatism and Facing the Rise of China
- 5 Conclusion – Long Live the Revolution?
- Bibliography
- Index
3 - Hmong (Forever) on the Margins: Crypto-Separatism and the Making of Ethnic Difference
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 December 2021
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Maps and Illustrations
- List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction – Heritage, State, and Politics
- 2 Making the Past (Dis)appear: Heritage as Legitimacy in (Re)creating Luang Prabang
- 3 Hmong (Forever) on the Margins: Crypto-Separatism and the Making of Ethnic Difference
- 4 One World: One Dream: Voices of Pessimism, Strategies of Pragmatism and Facing the Rise of China
- 5 Conclusion – Long Live the Revolution?
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Abstract
Ethnic minorities in Laos form a key part of narratives of the Lao population as the ‘Lao multi-ethnic people’. This involves the creation and clear delineation of ethnic difference in which ethnic difference is celebrated within a framework of lowland Lao hegemony. With specific reference to the Hmong, I argue that the Hmong can never really escape assumptions from the lowland Lao that, were they able to choose, that they would choose to live in an independent state. By making use of Scott's ideas of Zomia I argue further that the idea of Zomia as an alternative to living in the Lao state may exist in the minds of some Hmong, an idea widely assumed by the Lao state and many lowland Lao to be held by all Hmong. Ethnic minorities continue to have an ambiguous relationship vis-à-vis the Lao state to which they belong, but at the same time, are considered outsiders.
Keywords: ethnicity, politics of ethnic difference, discrimination, material culture, national identity, separatism
In August 2015, Neng and I were travelling by motorbike on a main road through his home province, accompanied by several other Hmong from his village. The day before we had noted the presence of police on the road and as such, we were all wearing crash helmets. The lack of a helmet is a favourite reason for the police to stop motorcyclists. Nevertheless, as we approached the police roadblock, we were all pulled over. After a thorough inspection of the bikes, the police levied a fine of 20,000 kip against each motorbike for – apparently – not having a required registration document. Neng's older brother managed to negotiate a small discount on the requested amount and paid 50,000 kip in total. Later, when we reached his house, I asked Neng why he thought we had been stopped while the other drivers were waved through. He responded without hesitation that we were stopped because he and the others are Hmong and clearly the police wanted money to drink that day. He told me: ‘You cannot say this to the police but you know inside they stopped you because you are Hmong’.
By saying this, Neng confirmed that he felt he was targeted because of his ethnicity, or his actual and assumed difference from the majority lowland Lao.
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- Information
- Heritage and the Making of Political Legitimacy in LaosThe Past and Present of the Lao Nation, pp. 91 - 116Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2021