‘Making Religion’ as a Form of State Territorialisation in Southeastern Myanmar

This paper analyses religious infrastructure projects of saintly and charismatic Buddhist monks as a process of state territorialisation in conflict- affected areas of southeast Myanmar. Amongst lay Karen Buddhists, infrastructure projects which are conceived in the name of ‘making religion’ (thathana pyu) and spreading the sāsana are widely seen as an expression of compassion, so that they can make merit and build a peaceful Buddhist polity. However, in some areas, these missionisation projects have also inflicted brutal violence on local communities—both Buddhist and non-Buddhist. Drawing on a burgeoning anthropological literature that looks at religious works as a form of infrastructure, this paper explores projects of ‘making religion’ and demonstrates how they hold both enchanting and pernicious qualities for local people, when embedded in processes of state territorialisation. Coinciding with ongoing attempts by the Myanmar military to explicitly and actively missionise contested Karen territories, I argue that these projects can be understood as part of a broader nationalist project from the state to consolidate territorial control in restive parts of the country.