Myanmar’s land crisis tied to war, says TNI

Land in Myanmar is more than soil and crops — it is livelihood, identity and survival. Yet according to a new report, the country’s deepening land crisis cannot be separated from the civil war that has raged since the 2021 coup.

Published by the Pa‑O Youth Organisation and the Transnational Institute, Land Is Our Life warns that treating land purely as an economic commodity ignores the communities whose lives depend on it. For farmers in the Pa‑O region, “land is their life”, but armed conflict, military repression and economic collapse are pushing agriculture to the brink.

Roots of the crisis

Generations of rural families have relied on land not only for food and income but as a link to ancestors and cultural identity. In ethnic states, territory is tied to language, community and political rights. Losing land, the report stresses, means losing the foundations of a society.

Myanmar’s long history of conflict has repeatedly disrupted these ties. Land confiscation, displacement and resource exploitation have scarred communities, while powerful actors increasingly view land as a source of profit. Farmers, by contrast, see it as their lifeblood.

Coup and consequences

Since the military seized power in 2021, pressures have multiplied. Rising costs, labour shortages and ongoing fighting have left farmers vulnerable. In Mon State, researchers found land increasingly treated as a market asset, while families risk permanent displacement. Once uprooted, many are forced into precarious wage labour or migration, with children losing access to education and communities losing their economic base.

What’s at stake

The report argues that any future political settlement — whether federalism, peace or reconstruction — must address land rights. Communities need recognition of customary tenure, protection against arbitrary confiscation and mechanisms for restitution. Without this, reconciliation will remain incomplete.

At heart, the struggle is about competing visions of Myanmar’s future. One sees land as an investment opportunity, the other as the foundation of dignity and community. For a country seeking democracy and peace, the latter cannot be ignored.

As the report concludes, land is not simply where people live — it is what allows them to live. Any genuine effort to rebuild Myanmar must begin by recognising that distinction.

-2026-08-31