Why Indigenous Land Rights Matter in Myanmar

Dec 19, 2021 | Esther Wah
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After the National League for Democracy (NLD) assumed power in 2016, it soon became apparent that its leaders had the same mindset as their predecessors when it came to matters related to Myanmar’s indigenous peoples. The threats to Myanmar’s natural environment have only deepened since the coup. 

The underlying problem facing Myanmar is that even now, nearly three-quarters of a century after the end of British rule, it continues to follow colonialist patterns of exploitation that strip indigenous peoples of their rights—particularly their rights with regard to the use of the lands that they live on. 

Most of Myanmar’s remaining forest areas are in indigenous territories that are home to many globally listed endangered species. By attempting to “depoliticize” the issue of land rights with laws that commodify the land in ways that are alien to indigenous communities, Myanmar’s rulers—whether military or civilian—show that they have little understanding of, and even less interest in, the concerns of anyone apart from international investors and the local elites who profit from doing business with them.