宗教用地における居住民の世帯戦略-カリスマ僧没後の変化を中心に- (<特集>ミャンマー少数民族地域における生態資源利用と社会変容)

Abstract

This paper focuses on changes that have occurred on the religious land (thathana mye) of Thamanya, which is named after the charismatic monk Thamanya (Taung) Hsayadaw and is inhabited by his followers. Thathana mye, which literally translates as "land used only for religious purposes, " is distinct from land generally inhabited by laypersons, such as villages and towns. However, Thamanya Hsayadaw permitted laypersons who followed his teachings to migrate to this land; eventually, the population grew to 25, 000 and the land assumed the characteristics of a town. The land was rendered vulnerable due to its location near the area that served as the battleground of the civil war between the Karen National Union and the Burmese army. However, with his charismatic power and superior management skills, Thamanya Hsayadaw was able to protect the land from potential destruction. Further, he initiated and helmed many civic ventures, including somewhat secular projects like the erection of pagodas, the construction of roads and bridges, and the promotion of education. This is reminiscent of the "development monk" concept observed in Thailand and Sri Lanka. As mentioned elsewhere, entrepreneurship in such areas has accelerated as a result of complementary relationships between three agencies: monks, pilgrims, and residents of the area. However, since Thamanya Hsayadaw's demise in late 2003, this religious land has undergone changes. First, the number of pilgrims has been decreasing; this implies a decrease in the income of both monks and residents. Second, the area was officially registered as a "village" (kyeywa) by the Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC). This means it was gradually integrated into the governmental system under the direction of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).In this paper, I examine the changes that have taken place on this land, approaching the analysis from two perspectives: (1) changes in its administrative features during the process of integration into the governmental system(2) household strategies of each residents