Humanitarian aid practices on the Thai-Myanmar border after the coup: beyond depoliticization and inequality

Abstract

Since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, conflicts have escalated, leading to a contraction of humanitarian space. While local actors have increasingly played a crucial role in adapting to the crisis, they encounter significant constraints within the aid system. This study explores the complex dilemmas of humanitarian aid localization on the Thailand-Myanmar border, focusing on challenges related to unequal power dynamics and depoliticized bureaucratic practices. The research finds that bureaucratic and managerial approaches to depoliticization limit the autonomy of local actors, impair their decision-making capabilities, and reduce humanitarian issues to technical and administrative problems, neglecting the intricate political context of the border crisis. The tension between control and flexibility, intertwined with systemic inequalities, further marginalizes the political subjectivity of refugees, and hinders the effective advancement of the localization process. This paper argues that reforming the humanitarian aid system should shift beyond depoliticization and inequality, emphasizing the importance of respecting marginalized subjectivities to establish a genuine foundation of trust and achieve aid justice.