Thesis

Progressing the realisation of the human right to work of Karen refugees in camps in Thailand : is there a role of Confucian communitarianism?

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2025
Thesis identifier
  • T17527
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201970719
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • My thesis utilises insights from the Confucian communitarian tradition, which is rooted in Asian and Thai traditions, to promote and support the realisation the right to work for Karen refugees in Thai camps. There are over 80,000 indigenous Karen refugees from Myanmar resident in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. They have fled to Thailand due to the long history of ethnic conflict and political persecution within Myanmar, a situation which remains ongoing. Although Thailand has a long history of hosting refugees, the country has to date refused to sign up to the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol, which form the bedrock of International Refugee Law. Thailand does not have a national asylum system and regards these indigenous refugees as “illegal migrants”. Critically, these Karen refugees in Thai camps are denied the right to work, which is an inherent part of human dignity and well recognised in international law. I root my analysis in a novel legal framework which brings together three areas of law - International Refugee Law, International Human Rights Law and International Law on Indigenous Peoples. I deploy the Confucian communitarian approach to human dignity, which although different from the liberal tradition, can contribute to the advancement of universal human rights protections within Thailand. Ultimately, my research calls on Thailand to rethink its approach and uphold their obligations under this international legal framework to extend the protection of the right to work for the Karen refugees in camps. I bring forward Confucian communitarian thought in order to promote the realisation of the right to work under international law for Karen refugees in camps in Thailand, contributing an original approach.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Lomba, Sylvie Da
  • Vermeylen, Saskia
Resource Type
DOI

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