Abstract
The impact of forest policy on people is described through a case study on the east side of the Pegu range, Myanmar. Here, the Forest Village policy has been applied since the 19th century, when the British governed Burma and managed the forests. Its purpose was to supply, at low cost, labour for teak taungya plantations, and to regenerate areas affected by shifting cultivation in remote and under-populated areas. A so-called Karen area was lent to the Karen who lived in the reserved forests, where cultivation was prohibited in principle. They were allowed to practice shifting cultivation but had to work for the government, especially on plantations, whenever requested. The impact of this policy on their life was relatively low because plantation work was irregular and the area from which the Karen area was excluded was small. Additionally, unoccupied land existed outside the Karen area and the manpower of the government was limited, so they could migrate according to their custom if they had any complaint.
The present government still applies this policy. Consequently, the Karen have maintained their own life-style, which is identical to that in the surrounding Burmese villages. The plantation work has increased but its impact is still small. However, increasing population and rising demand for land might change the balance between the government and people in the future.
