Land complaints could test Myanmar government

Subject

Land controversies in Myanmar.

Significance

Hundreds of farmers began street protests in Mandalay last month in a bid to convince the government to return lands seized under the previous regime and halt prosecutions of rural families who are seeking to regain property. The government has returned some small parcels of land in repsonse, but attempts to develop new urban areas and industrial zones complicate the issue.

Impacts

• Increasing the law courts’ capacity could bolster public faith in their ability to adjudicate land disputes.
• Land protests could undermine the government’s agriculture development agenda.
• Construction firms will need to undertake due diligence and corporate social responsibility policies to mitigate land disputes.