No abstract

Forced relocation is the process of intentionally displacing people and moving them to a new location. People affected by forced relocation experience heightened impoverishment risks and severe and long-lasting economic, psycho-socio-cultural impacts and spatial marginalisation. The risk of impoverishment is intensified in urban settings as the target communities are usually a heterogeneous group of densely populated poor communities, which makes re-establishment of their lives complex and resource intensive.This thesis examines the recovery process of people who were forced to relocate from central Yangon, Myanmar, to the city's outskirts in 1991. While the impacts of forced relocation and resettlement for development projects, particularly in rural settings, are well documented, relatively little is known about how urban relocatees navigate the recovery of their essential assets. In a This research would not have been possible without the support and guidance from a number of people. To my academic advisors, Sonia Roitman and Karen McNamara, who not only provided critical and constructive feedback but also supported me and believed in me. Their theoretical and conceptual contributions to this research have been invaluable and have enriched the quality of this thesis. Gerhard Hoffstaedter generously offered his time and knowledge about concepts in Chapter 8 of this thesis. I am also grateful to Donovan Storey, my undergraduate Honours supervisor, who provided feedback during the conceptualisation of the research and at key milestones. Yap Kioe Sheng also helped with initial brainstorming of research ideas and provided helpful insight into urban challenges in Yangon and mentored me from afar throughout. Hopefully we one day get to meet in person! David Allen was also instrumental in the very early days of understanding what it means to 'research in Myanmar' and testing interesting topics with long-standing Yangon residents. This thesis and the knowledge I have gained and am thus contributing, would not have been impossible without the contributions from the participants in this research. The generosity, kindness and hospitality of relocatees who shared their intimate experiences of relocation and difficulties in recovery have been memorable and most appreciated. Special thanks must also go to Zipporah who spent much time and effort on local research assistance tasks. Many thanks also to my peers who shared in the trials, celebrations, coffees and Tim Tams that made up my PhD journey. Special appreciation to the study and writing groups that have morphed and changed over my five-year stint. Appreciation to Izzy Rhoads, David Ney, Justine Chambers, Jenny Hedstrom, Francis O'Morchoe and Gerard McCarthy whose intimate knowledge of different aspects of Myanmar have been enormously inspirational. Thanks also to Wai Wai and Georgia who gave me safe places to sleep and delicious food to nourish me during fieldwork, and Koko Lwin, Hsi Hsi and Hosana who offered random snippets of knowledge and interesting intellectual deb...