Bibliography 2: #BIB36420

Key	BIB36420
Reference type	Thesis
Title	Bahai and Peasant Resistance in Northeast Thailand (A Case Study of Santitham School)
Author	Nurish, Amanah
Year	2017
Place published	Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Abstract	This study attempts to offer a crucial scholarly dimension to explain the issues of religious politics and resistance movements among agrarian communities in Northern Thailand. The central premise of this study revolves around the Baha'i religious movement, as represented by an alternative educational institution—the Santitham School—which is grounded in the intellectual framework of liberation theology. Ideally, education and schooling serve as the most strategic instruments for mobilizing movements to resist forces of political, economic, social, and religious domination and hegemony. This is because religion exerts a significant influence on daily life (Parsons, 2003: 17); indeed, religion stands as one of the primary catalysts for social change. The principal objective of this research is to examine the reception of the Baha'i faith within a society of farmers in Yasothon—a community comprising primarily Buddhists and adherents of local indigenous beliefs. Broadly speaking, the Baha'i movement in Southeast Asia—including in Thailand—is inextricably linked to a historical narrative of marginalization, persecution, and oppression experienced by Baha'i adherents in Iran, particularly during the late 19th century. During that era, Baha'i organizations were dissolved by the government, their property was confiscated, their places of worship were demolished, and their cemeteries were desecrated, effectively stripping the Baha'i community of their civil rights (Kazemzadeh, 2002: 537–558). Throughout the subsequent expansion of the Baha'i faith, adherents in various nations have encountered numerous challenges—particularly those pertaining to issues of identity, political pressure, discrimination, oppression, and other matters concerning civil rights. Consequently, this study aims to establish a link between political issues in Thailand and the religious movements and acts of resistance undertaken by agrarian communities—specifically in the northern region—where such forms of resistance have manifested through educational institutions, such as the Santitham Baha'i School in Yasothon. Thailand was selected as the research site due to its diverse ethnic population; consequently, this ethnographic study of the Baha'i religious movement seeks to examine how the concept of liberation theology—implemented within both educational institutions and religious movement spaces—functions as a tool for political resistance among the Isan peasant community in Yasothon. The history of political clashes and conflict between the Isan people and the Siamese Kingdom is characterized by the undeniable presence of ethnic distinctions. The Isan people trace their origins to Laotian migrants who migrated to Thailand's northern region—specifically the borderlands between Thailand and Laos—during the early to mid-17th century (Srisakkara 1990: 283-284; Phatharathananunth 2006: 24). The history of the Isan community is inextricably linked to grassroots movements, particularly the massive uprisings and peasant revolutions that took place in the 1960s. In conclusion, this study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of religious transformation—specifically within the Baha'i faith—and the resistance movements of the Isan peasant community, focusing on three key points: (1) The Baha'i religion, symbolized by the presence of the Santitham School and its principles and teachings regarding liberation theology; (2) The resistance movements and narratives of the Isan peasant community; and (3) Buddhism and the politics of the Thai government.
Language	English
Keywords	RELIGION; POLITICS; THAILAND; YASOTHON; SANTITHAM SCHOOL (YASOTHON, THAILAND); LIBERATION THEOLOGY; RURAL AREAS; BUDDHISM; PERSECUTION; IRAN; IDENTITY; RESISTANCE; CIVIL RIGHTS
Thesis type	Doctorate
Academic department	Inter-religious Studies
University	Universitas Gadjah Mada
Degree	Ph.D.
Advisor	Woodward, Mark

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