Rurally rooted cross-border migrant workers from Myanmar, Covid-19, and agrarian movements

Area of Science:

• Socio-economic impacts of global health emergencies
• Agrarian studies and rural sociology
• Cross-border migration and labor dynamics

Background:

• Examines the pre-pandemic conditions of rurally rooted cross-border migrant workers from Myanmar.
• Highlights the vulnerability of migrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Situates migrant workers within broader issues of land, labor, and food justice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore post-pandemic future possibilities for migrant workers.
• To critically engage agrarian movements with migrant worker issues.
• To re-evaluate the role of land in production and social reproduction for migrant populations.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of migrant worker circumstances.
• Theoretical exploration of land-labor nexus.
• Focus on interdisciplinary perspectives: labor, agrarian, and food justice.

Main Results:

• The pandemic exacerbated existing vulnerabilities of Myanmar migrant workers.
• Rethinking land as central to both production and social reproduction is crucial.
• The need for multi-class coalitions against external capital and internal exploitation.

Conclusions:

• Achieving equitable futures requires forging multi-class coalitions.
• Practical politics and theoretical exploration must be recursively integrated.
• Addressing exploitative relations within rural communities and households is essential.