The Role of Land in Peace and Unity in Myanmar

The 2021 coup d’etat by the Myanmar military created a new shared awareness among the Bamar ethnic majority and ethnic minorities of their shared interest in a future not dictated by the military, but rather a future defined by human rights, respect for different ethnic backgrounds and religions, and a federal democracy. Underpinning those values is hope for the respect of people’s land, and their rights to their ancestral lands, in a future federal democratic system.

This video, created by Pyidaungsu Institute and Forest Trends, explores the stories and aspirations of Myanmar’s ethnic nationalities and indigenous people, including Bamar, in relation to their land. The video offers a view into the stories of different ethnic people across Myanmar—from Chin, Naga and Mro in the West, to Bamar, Kachin, Shan, Pa-O, Karenni, Mon, Karen and others. What unfolds is a sense of the shared principles on land in a future federal Myanmar, that cut across the different geographies and ethnic backgrounds.

Federalism on its own will not allow for protection of ethnic people’s ancestral lands. However, it can be designed to, if federal and state/regional constitutions guarantee those rights.

Especially in a country that has diverse cultures and backgrounds like Myanmar, peace-building among different communities and groups is vital for national building or state building. We cannot create a unity with uniformity. A 70 years long civil war in Myanmar is evidence that uniformity does not work.

--Dr. Sui Khar, Joint Secretary-General (II) of the Chin National Front

In ancient history and the recent past, political conflicts in Myanmar were about land. Similarly, the same problem we now have today is also about land. If we do not address the issue now, our future conflicts will also be about land.

--Khun Myint Tun, Chairman, Pa-O National Liberation Organization

If we are restricted in the way we use our land and threatened for using our land as we do, it endangers our livelihood. It is the same as ending our lives. Our land is very valuable to us. We can survive only if we have our land. Only when we have our land, can we thrive as an ethnic group.

--Daw Thein Nu, Mro-Khami Land Rights Defender