Development policy affects the indigenous group: the case of the Karen community, Ban Klang Village, Northern Thailand

Indigenous communities often face property rights conflicts as governments claim their traditional lands for conservation purposes. This study examines the Ban Klang Karen community in Lampang, Thailand, where the creation of a national park in 1991 threatened displacement and sparked resistance. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study investigates the impact of conservation policies on Karen livelihoods and the resistance strategies of Karen people. Findings reveal that when park designation reduced agricultural land access and yields, the community responded by strategically leveraging social capital and advocacy networks to resist displacement. Internally, they developed robust communal resource management systems and community-delineated land titles. The community’s success in self-organizing and sustainably managing their resources provides a powerful demonstration of the utility of inclusive conservation policies. It makes the case for policies that recognize indigenous land tenure and integrate traditional ecological knowledge to balance biodiversity goals with community wellbeing. This study offers a model for equitable resource governance, in which policymakers prioritize co-management agreements and legal frameworks that empower indigenous communities. These findings have potential as models for Thailand and beyond.