Violences of the Peace Process: How State-defined “Peace” as “Peace for business and development” has Failed to Address Longstanding Political Grievances and to end State Violences against Karen Civilians

Burmese military-state building development through ceasefire agreement, known as ceasefire capitalism, has fundamentally failed to address longstanding political grievances and state violences against Karen civilians. Rather, territorial expansion and heightened state control over Indigenous Karen people in Mutraw district have been disguised as “peace” and “peace process” defined and crafted by the Myanmar military. Karen civilians, who continue to experience state violences and oppression do not trust this state-designed peace process and thus, they do not easily buy into escalating state violences packaged as “development” and “control” disguised as “peace.” This paper shows how the state-defined “peace” and state-designed “peace process” are an illusion for Karen civilians in Mutraw district and calls for genuine peace that ends state violences and oppression, and guarantees justice in people’s everyday life, as envisioned in the Salween Peace Park.