Nature Crimes: The Convergence of Criminal Economies in the Mekong Region
The Mekong Region—particularly the tri-border “Golden Triangle” of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand—has become a hub where environmental exploitation and criminal activity converge, collectively generating billions of dollars annually for transnational enterprises. This analysis examines how nature crimes—the illegal extraction and trade of natural resources—are deeply embedded within broader illicit economies across the Mekong Region, with particular focus on post-coup Myanmar.
Speaker
Dr. Kevin Woods is a political ecologist and political geographer who received graduate degrees from Yale University and UC-Berkeley. He investigates the politics of land and resource extractivism, forest conservation, and armed conflict in Myanmar’s borderlands using mixed-methods approaches that combine ethnographic fieldwork with remote sensing analysis. His research is grounded in long-term collaborative partnerships with indigenous civil society organizations, where he co-designs and conducts field-based research in local languages. Kevin has published widely in top journals on political ecologies of war and revolution, developing concepts such as “ceasefire capitalism,” “conservation as counterinsurgency,” and “greening territoriality.” Along with his co-editors, Kevin published the book Turning Land into Capital: Development and Dispossession in the Mekong Region with University of Washington Press. He is currently finishing his second book with Yale University Press, titled The Fifth Cut: War and the Remaking of Nature in Myanmar. He has led policy engagements on resource conflicts and environmental peacebuilding in Myanmar’s ethnic territories with Forest Trends, the States Institute of Peace, and donor-funded programs in Myanmar, and regularly briefs government agencies, diplomats, and NGOs. He has also been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, and National Geographic, as well as regional media outlets. Kevin serves as a Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i and a Research Associate at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science, Center for Social Development Studies in Bangkok, Thailand.
MODERATOR
Hanna Yogar. Focusing on the industrial plantations of Indonesian Borneo, Hanna investigates the clash between human-wildlife relations and rapid development, with a specific emphasis on Dayak Iban-orangutan interactions. She employs a cross-disciplinary lens, utilizing multispecies ethnography to uncover the cultural and political dimensions of the region. Her research examines the tangible material consequences and ethical frameworks governing this shifting ecological landscape.
“MAIDS-GRID Talk: Expert Research Seminar” is a new initiative conceived and managed by GRID Ph.D. students. It provides a dedicated space for experts from diverse fields to share insights on the multifaceted issues within development studies.
Venue and Date
Online via Zoom (register here)
Bangkok: Tuesday, 24 March | 10:00 – 11:30 AM | California: Monday, 23 March | 8:00 – 9:30 PM
Scan the QR code to register or click the link below:
https://chula.zoom.us/meeting/register/kPq70tJARuixAp9GWOE2Ow
