The Political Economy of Land Governance in Myanmar

Land governance is an inherently political-economic
issue. This report on Myanmar1 is one of a series of
country reports on Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet
Nam (CLMV) that seek to present country-level analyses
of the political economy of land governance.
The country level analysis addresses land governance
in Myanmar in two ways. First, it summarises what the
existing body of knowledge tells us about power and
configurations that shape access to and exclusion from
land, particularly among smallholders, the rural poor,
ethnic minorities and women. Second, it draws upon
existing literature and expert assessment to provide a
preliminary analysis of the openings for and obstacles
to land governance reform afforded by the political
economic structures and dynamics of each country.
The premise of this analysis is that existing configurations
of social, political, administrative and economic
power lead to unequal distribution of land and related
resources. They also produce outcomes that are socially
exclusionary, environmentally unsustainable and economically
inefficient. Power imbalances at various levels of
society result in growing insecurity of land tenure, loss
of access to resources by smallholders, increasing food
and livelihood insecurity, and human rights abuses. The
first part of this analysis explains why, how and with
what results for different groups these exclusionary
arrangements and outcomes are occurring.
In recognition of the problems associated with existing
land governance arrangements, a number of reform
initiatives are underway in the Mekong Region. Most of
these initiatives seek to enhance security of access to
land by disadvantaged groups. All the initiatives work
within existing structures of power, and the second part
of the analysis discusses the potential opportunities and
constraints afforded by the existing arrangements.
This country report commences with a brief identification
of the political-economic context that sets
the parameters for existing land governance and for
reform in Myanmar. It then explores the politicaleconomic
dynamics of land relations and identifies key
transitions in land relations that affect access to land
and tenure security for smallholders. Finally, the report
discusses key openings for, and constraints to, land
governance reform.
Myanmar is marked by a rapid opening of its economy to
foreign investment. This has exacerbated insecurity over
land in a country where arbitrary use of authority has
troubled smallholders for decades. Close association
between the military (which still controls the levers of
government), domestic big business and foreign corporate
interests produces a powerful force for land
alienation in a country where the current accelerated
development path is largely based on land-demanding
projects. These projects include agribusiness plantations,
extractives projects in the energy and mining sector, and
special economic zones (SEZs). The space for open
dialogue and challenges around these issues has opened
up rapidly, leaving civil society, government officials and
the international community scrambling to stay abreast.
Meanwhile, new and complex issues have emerged on top
of old problems as neoliberal approaches to turn land
into capital see tenure reforms move in the direction of
private land titling for smallholder sedentary lowland
farmers. In addition, new land and investment-related
laws enable foreign capital into land-based deals,
particularly for agribusiness.