“By Force of Arms: Armed Ethnic Groups in Burma” is essentially a handbook that outlines the various ethnic armies, their histories, factions, alliances, declarations and leadership structures.

Untangling the knotted histories of the Karen, the Shan and the other nationalities’ armed groups can be a scholarly labyrinth, complicated by a series of broken alliances, and factions that have split further into smaller factions whose allegiances are by no means certain.

The author sets out, in this case, to present an A to Z of the armies independently, and lays out their struggles dispassionately in a chronological format, from Panglong to the present, which will be of value to journalists, commentators, NGOs and diplomats.

The handbook is written by Paul Keenan, a researcher and writer on Burma’s ethnic issues who has spent some 14 years working closely with the various organizations at the Thai-Burmese border.

“By Force of Arms: Armed Ethnic Groups in Burma” book launch:
10am—12 noon
UNISERV CMU
239 Nimmanhaemin Road
Chiang Mai