Life Worth Exploring: Reflections on my Asian Field Research in Thailand and Myanmar

As I sit at my computer with the impossible task of reflecting on my 6-week Asian Field Research trip in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), words fail me. If you read my last post at the beginning of my research, you know that I am a third-year doctoral student in the Graduate School for Education and Human Development at the George Washington University doing research on organizational development along the Thai-Myanmar border and inside Myanmar. I spent one week at four different organizations doing interviews, participant observation, and document review to see how leaders in these organizations are bringing about positive organizational change based on a certificate course they took in organizational development.

Despite being at a loss for words, I am not at a loss for stories, faces, and learning experiences. Here is a snapshot of my amazing time this summer:

At one of the organizations I visited, I volunteered teaching English in the evenings. They were so grateful and gave me a traditional ethnic shirt reserved for a teacher.

Teaching English in the evenings

This dog, which barked at everyone initially, warmed up to me and would run to me upon my return once it discovered I would rub its belly.

When traveling, the bus driver wrote “Toe” on my ticket because he couldn’t be bothered to write my name (or even finish the word “tourist”).

I was surprised that I boarded my domestic flight to Loikaw without anyone ever checking my ID.

I went running a lot in my free time as well. During one of my long runs, it began raining and an old man who saw me insisted that I come into his shop until the rain stopped. He gave me coffee and smiles that warmed me up. Here is a short video that shows me running with two of the people from one of the organizations I visited. I also got to play a unique sport called chinlone. 

I was challenged by many things as well. My first night in Myanmar I found a ¾ inch screw in my fried rice. In Loikaw, I stayed in a newly opened hotel far away from the organization I observed and they had no transportation, bicycles for rent, or anything! Walking to and from the organization allowed me to see more of the nearby community. The internet in Myanmar often only worked well in the mornings which was frustrating at first, but the fact that I could get a SIM card in my phone for a few dollars showed incredible development in the country from my first time visiting in 2011. 

The smell of betel nut has left an indelible (and not the good kind of indelible) mark on my olfactory system. This bus even had black trash bags for each person to spit in during the journey from Hpa An to Yangon.

Bags on the bus for betel nut spit

I am incredibly grateful to the Sigur Center for Asian Studies. I first heard of the Sigur Center through Dr. Christina Fink who lived in Chiang Mai for many years (where I also lived for four years) and am indebted to her and the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the Elliot School for International Affairs for allowing me to have such a remarkable opportunity. 

This grant has inspired me to continue a life of research and learning in Asia, specifically Thailand and Myanmar. I am confident this research will blossom into my dissertation work, and hopeful that it will be the beginning of a career in academia in these areas.

Onward.

Oliver (Ozzie) Crocco
Doctoral student in Human and Organizational Learning, GSEHD
Sigur Center 2016 Asian Field Research Fellow
Thailand and Myanmar

Hpa An, Myanmar

Organizational Development in Thailand and Myanmar

As I mention in the video above, my name is Oliver Crocco but you can call me Ozzie. I’m a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Human and Organizational Learning (HOL) at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and a recipient of the 2016 Sigur Center Asian Field Research Grant. This blog post is designed to introduce you to my research and share with you my passion for Asian studies and how I came to receive the Sigur Center Field Research Grant.

The Countryside of Mae Sot, Thailand

It was a beautiful fall day in Foggy Bottom when I found myself at the Paul Coffee shop on Pennsylvania Avenue up the street from the Elliot Schoolfor International Affairs. I sat across Dr. Christina Fink, Professor of Practice at the Elliot School and someone with whom I share many mutual friends from my time in Southeast Asia. In fact, one of the reasons I was keen to join GW two years ago to begin my doctoral work was hearing about Dr. Fink from Martha and John Butt, colleagues and friends from my four years spent at PayapUniversity (PYU) in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Sipping on coffee and discussing Myanmar politics, I told Dr. Fink about a project I was involved in at PYU where we developed a Certificate Program in Organizational Development along with the International RescueCommittee (IRC) and offered it to hundreds of Community-Based Organization (CBO) workers along the Thai-Myanmar border and at various locations in rural Myanmar. The certificate offered knowledge and skills regarding organizational development, accounting, finance, grant writing, and human resource management to name a few. It also included general education courses on politics, economics, and cross-cultural communication. I told her about my curiosity to discover if this program was actually leading to positive organizational change and how, if at all, the program was supporting those organizations in making an impact in their communities.

Over the weekend I went running at a national park

As many of my readers may know, after the violent crackdown of pro-democracy protests by the ruling military junta in Myanmar in 1988, most universities were either closed or handed over to be run by the military (Fink, 2009). This led to an exodus, with many people fleeing to places like Mae Sot along the Thai-Myanmar border. To respond to humanitarian and educational needs along the border and in ethnic minority states, many CBOs were created, including hospitals, schools, and agricultural organizations (Fink, 2015). While some is known about educational training programs at CBOs in Myanmar such as in health (Low, Tun, Mhote, Htoo, Maung, Kyaw, & Pocock, 2014) and agriculture (Matsuno, Horino, & Hatcho, 2013), little is known about how organizational development programs, like the PYU-IRC certificate course, contribute to organizational change within CBOs and are perceived by their beneficiaries. I was curious to know how the certificate course was (or wasn’t) affecting those organizations and communities.

It was that day at the coffee shop that Dr. Fink told me about the Sigur Center Asian Field Research grant and recommended that I apply. I was overjoyed to hear about the opportunity and worked with Dr. Fink along with my adviser in the HOL department, Dr. Maria Cseh, and another GW professor, Dr. Nisha Manikoth, to craft a research proposal. I decided on case study research methodology and am doing a multiple case study of four leaders of four different organizations – two in Mae Sot and two in Myanmar.

This organizational leader led me on his bike to his office

The overall purpose of this study is to see how organizational development in community-based organizations creates a lasting impact in communities in Myanmar. Thus, the research questions ask the following: How do leaders of four organizations use what was taught in the Organizational Development Certificate Program to serve the purposes of their CBOs and communities? How do the participants in the certificate program perceive the usefulness of the program for their work and lives? And lastly, how, if at all, has the certificate program contributed in any noticeable way to organizational change within these CBOs? 

After lots of preparation, I received IRB approval for the study and arrived in Thailand early July. Today, nearly 9 months later, I am in another coffee shop reflecting on the first part of my Asian field research. Here are a few highlights and challenges so far:

Challenge 1: Getting organized.

So far this research has been quite the learning experience in cross-cultural planning. Leading up to the project and now here in Thailand I've been organizing with the various individuals and organizations to create a schedule that works for everyone for me to interview and make observations. This has meant a lot of emails, meeting people, and discussing the best times and places to meet. Thankfully, everyone has been very helpful and I’m grateful for everyone’s time and patience.

Highlight 1: Friendly people.

I am amazed at how friendly, compassionate, and kind the people of the organizations I have met are. They have warmly welcomed me into their work and lives and have shared with me their experiences in ways that have humbled me. One woman was willing to meet with me even though she had just worked all day, went to a training for three hours, and had homework for her online degree due that evening. I am full of gratitude!

I made it on the calendar of this organization!

Challenge 2: The dogs.

While not directly related to my study, I love to run in my free time. However, I’ve found it terribly challenging to find places to run (at least run long distances) because of the dogs... Most of the streets and alleys have faithful watchdogs there to protect their territory from tall, strange-looking, and colorfully-dressed people like me. I’ve been carrying my selfie-stick around with me on my runs. It’s light and I can quickly expand it to ward away any dogs looking especially offensive.

Highlight 2: Deep sharing.

Conduct high quality case study research relies on a good research design, interview protocol, and participation criteria. It also relies on participants who are willing to reflect deeply on their experiences, feelings, and beliefs. I have been humbled and amazed to find this in my first few weeks here in Mae Sot. I am so thankful to the participants willing to share deeply and hope I can listen as passionately as they are sharing.

I’m off to Myanmar on Friday but will post again in about a month at the end of my research! If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, or would just like to get in touch, please email me at olivercrocco@gwu.edu. You can also check out my personal blog here. 

All the best,

Oliver (Ozzie) Crocco
Doctoral student in Human and Organizational Learning, GSEHD
Sigur Center 2016 Asian Field Research Fellow
Thailand and Myanmar 

Sources:

Fink, C. (2015). Burmese sanctuary-seekers and migrants in Thailand: Policies, experiences, and prospects,” in A. Kathleen and N. Murakami, (eds.) in Trauma and Recovery on War’s Border: A Guide for Global Health Workers. Hanover: Dartmouth College Press.

Fink, C. (2009). Living silence in Burma: Surviving under military rule (2^nd ed.). Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books. 

Low, S., Tun, K. T., Mhote, N. P. P., Htoo, S. N., Maung, C., Kyaw, S. W., & Pocock, N. S. (2014). Human resources for health: Task shifting to promote basic health service delivery among internally displaced people in ethnic health program service areas in eastern Burma/Myanmar. Global Health Action, 7, 24937-10. doi:10.3402/gha.v7.24937

Matsuno, Y., Horino, H., & Hatcho, N. (2013). On-farm irrigation development and management in lower Myanmar: Factors for sustainable rice production and collective action. Paddy and Water Environment, 11(1), 455-462. doi:10.1007/s10333-012-0336-0

Could Thailand be the First Asian Country to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage?

Same-Sex Partnership Bill Panel Discussion at FCCT

So it has admittedly been quite a while since I last updated, so let's try to catch up on what I have been up to in the LGBT advocacy world of Southeast Asia. One event in particular that stood out in the past few weeks was a panel discussion on a same-sex union bill that is currently being drafted and presented to the Thai parliament by Wiratana Kalayasiri, a democrat from the southern Thai city of Songkhla. Held at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) in Bangkok, the panel consisted of leading activists from the lesbian, gay, and transgender communities in Thailand as well as Kalayasiri. 

Thailand has perhaps become internationally famous for its seemingly open and accepting attitude towards LGBT people, but the reality of the situation is more complicated and reflective of a passive tolerance. For instance, while kathoey (trangenders) may be very visible in larger Thai cities, this does not necessarily translate into acceptance or integration into larger society. Non-discrimination laws do not exist for LGBT Thais and among some Buddhists there is the belief that LGBT people were born this way because of misdeeds in their past life. As you do not see the same level of violent homophobia and transphobia compared to other countries, Thailand seems to suffer from a different kind of problem: how do you create a social movement when there is a perception that society is already (relatively) tolerant? Do you need a certain level of visible oppression to galvanize a movement?

The debate on same-sex marriage started last year when a gay couple in Chiang Mai decided to try to get married, an act clearly prohibited by the section 1448 of the Thai civil code. After being denied by the local government, they took their case to the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, the Administrative Court, and the National Human Rights Commission, claiming that Thailand’s constitution guarantees them equal protection under the law. This politicization of the case grew into the current work to draft the civil partnership bill, which notably exists separately from the Thai civil code.

Legally speaking this can be interpreted in various ways. As Anjana Suvarnananda, the founder of Anjaree, a leading Thai lesbian organization, pointed out during the panel, the civil code is what ultimately needs to be amended--a process which is undeniably challenging. This bill, as it would stand separately, risks being seen as a case of granting "special rights" to same-sex couples. Accordingly, LGBT activists on the panel were adamant that rather than naming gays and lesbians, the law needed to define marriage as a union between two people. 

Effectively, rather than campaign for same-sex marriage, the goal became to advocate for "gender-neutral" marriage.

Personally, I see this as having several advantages. In particular, it is much more cognizant of transgender individuals. Prempreeda Pramoj Na Ayutthaya, a transgender panelist, explained that pushing for same-sex marriage was something that many transgenders felt uncomfortable about. Would this mean that their relationships would be defined by their sex at birth (which Thai transgenders cannot legally change)? Are transgenders rendered as homosexual or heterosexual? What if two transgender people are together? 

How do we even talk about marriage when neither partner sees themselves as a man or a woman?

Rather than striving to mark difference, by coming back to the basic principle that marriage should simply be considered a union between two people, it avoids making this an issue specific to LGBTs. Be that as it may, the bill remains deeply problematic. Aside from the fact that it is a stand-alone bill, it states that the legal age of marriage for same-sex couples should be 20. The legal age for heterosexuals is 17. The reasoning behind this discrepancy has yet to be clearly explained, and it is still unclear if parliament will even pass this bill as is. 

A greater issue is finding agreement with the Thai LGBT community on the bill. While some wish to see the legislation pushed through--even with its flaws--others, like myself, remain concerned that this bill could lay the groundwork for making future amendments more difficult. I tend to take the approach that legal recognition of LGBT people should not be done purely through the creation of new, separate legislation--revising current laws, like the civil code, to be more inclusive is the ultimate goal. For now, the bill is still being revised before it is officially presented to parliament, but it does serve as an interesting comparison for same-sex marriage debates in the West and certainly sets the stage for this topic to be debated in other countries in the region.

Jamison Liang

MA Candidate, Anthropology & International Development

Sigur Center Grant for Asian Field Research 

Negotiating LGBT Rights and Development in Indonesia

Sawatdee krap/Selamat pagi!

Well, it has been a couple weeks since I arrived in Thailand, so perhaps this is a good time to introduce myself and my research this summer (generously supported by a Sigur Center Grant for Asian Field Research).

My name is Jamison Liang and I am currently in the middle of my MA in Anthropology & International Development at George Washington. My research focuses on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights movement in Indonesia—particularly in Aceh province—where I look at the intersection of international, national, and Islamic law and how they have been applied to issues of gender and sexuality. Aceh is coming to an important crossroads this year; the provincial legislature is debating how to formulate its Islamic criminal bylaw (qanun jinayat), which could potentially criminalize homosexuality. One of the central questions I am investigating this summer concerns the influence of international development and human rights organizations, ultimately asking how effective (or ineffective) a purely rights-based argument is in producing societal change on the ground.

As advocacy for human rights of LGBT communities has gained traction among international organizations, especially the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Indonesian NGOs have followed suit, adopting human rights-based rhetoric. Yet how do international actors and local NGOs implement these abstract strategies, especially in areas where they appear to contravene societal morals, religious beliefs, or local laws? What happens when government officials and local leaders explicitly reject queer communities? My research aims to answer this question by focusing on the intersection of LGBT rights advocacy and international development initiatives in Indonesia, noting how global LGBT rights policies are “translated” into culturally appropriate and effective messages by local activists.

So, why am I in Bangkok? As it turns out, I am doing this research while helping the United Nations Development Program Asia Pacific Regional Center (UNDP APRC) with their project “Being LGBT in Asia: A Participatory Review and Analysis of the Legal and Social Environment for LGBT Civil Society in Asia.” I am largely in charge of helping write Indonesia’s national report, though I am also assisting with the social media side of the project, posting about LGBT-related news across the region in bahasa Indonesia and English.

At the same time I am identifying people from various international development and human rights organizations to interview in Bangkok—the hub of the development field in Southeast Asia. Accordingly, these individuals should be able to talk about how rights-based advocacy is practiced at a regional and international level by tracing the flow of recommendations from civil society to policy dialogues at the UN. To be sure, I remain critical of how development agencies have historically interacted with “sexual/gender minorities” solely through the lens of HIV—a discourse which I argue has “medicalized” their identities by linking them to the HIV epidemic. While this issue has rightfully opened up space in development to talk about sexuality and gender more critically, it has also made it harder to see other social problems as legitimate.

Once my research wraps up in Bangkok at the end of July, I will head to Indonesia (Jakarta and Banda Aceh) for a spree of interviews with CSOs and international NGOs. To be sure, there will be much to learn in the coming months! In the meantime, if you’re interested in the Being LGBT in Asia project, check out:

- Crowdmap: http://beinglgbtinasia.crowdmap.com

- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lgbtinasia

- Instagram and Twitter: @beinglgbtinasia

- QQ-tencent: t.qq.com/beinglgbtinasia 

- Weibo: www.weibo.com/beinglgbtinasia

- Douban: www.douban.com/people/beinglgbtinasia

Jamison Liang
MA Candidate in Anthropology & International Development

Sigur Center 2013 Summer Grant for Asian Field Research

Site: Thailand and Indonesia