All four countries in continental South-East Asia featured in this paper (Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) are experiencing land conflicts that could potentially destabilise their governments.1 Thailand is in a similar situation in many respects, as it has faced mounting tensions over land tenure since the 1990s (Hall et al., 2011). These conflicts are escalating, sometimes violent, and are attracting more and more attention from the media. They have mobilized numerous local and international NGOs, and often triggered the development of an increasingly visible national civil society.

This country level analysis addresses land governance in Laos 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 in the country.

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,