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Since 2012, land governance in Myanmar has been undergoing major changes. This article aims to capture the changes of the last year, framed through my perception of working as a consultant for a range of local NGOs, INGOs and donors. While this will inevitably be coloured by my own experience, I hope that I can present for wider discussion and reflection some of the key events and issues that I have found interesting over the past year...The Myanmar National Land Use Policy (NLUP) was published in March 2016, after 2 public consultations that took place during 2014 and 2015. This document represents an important step forward in land governance, not only due to its content, but also due to the consultative process through which NGOs and farmers across the country provided input and ideas for an initial draft, which was then used to develop the final version of the policy. This process was unprecedented in law development in Myanmar.
Since the new NLD government came to power at the end of March 2016, the status of the NLUP has become somewhat unclear, as authorities have not officially supported the policy’s implementation or the proposed National Land Law (an umbrella law for land under which the NLUP is situated). More recently, the Commission for the Assessment of Legal Affairs and Special Issues has put forward a series of proposed amendments to the NLUP which include removing sections on gender equality as well as protections around customary land governance. These are controversial recommendations for changes to articles that many civil society groups felt were key elements of the policy. At present, it is unclear if these amendments will be accepted by Parliament.
Other laws and policies released this year include:...
