The Role of local governments in the land acquisition process in Kyu Yone Village, Shan State, Myanmar

Abstract

In Kyu Yone village, Panglong Sub-township, Southern Shan State, Myanmar, various government entities and other actors have conducted land acquisition process for urban expansion. This has resulted in ongoing disputes and challenges for the ethnic Yang villagers. This study investigates the roles of local governments, specifically the General Administration Department and the Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics, in the land acquisition process at the township and district levels using the concepts of control grabbing through powers of exclusion. It also explores the consequences for villagers' livelihoods and land tenure insecurity by employing the concepts of livelihood and land tenure security. Data collection employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings reveal that local governments play a crucial role at the grassroots level. District administrators of the General Administration Department hold ultimate authority over land acquisition, while land officers from the Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics are more engaged on the ground. These power dynamics, status hierarchies, and institutional arrangements allow for the exploitation of the land acquisition process, disproportionately affecting the Yang people. Multiple layers of government involvement, ambiguous legal frameworks, and the vulnerability of the Yang people further complicate the situation. For over two decades, land insecurity and loss of livelihood have troubled Yang villagers due to top-down land grabs, disrupting traditional systems and creating complex power dynamics between authorities, local elites, and Yang communities. The study finds that local governments collaborate with influential local elites to promote land acquisition against the interests of the ethnic Yang, using legal administrative entities and education institutions. Despite the project suspension under the then National League for Democracy (NLD) government, disputes persist due to ambiguity over official stances. Exclusion tactics—such as regulation, market power, force, and legitimation—are used to control land access and exclude Yang villagers, which were used to reclassify territories, influence land allocation, coerce villagers, and justify dispossession. Transparency, proper consultation, and adherence to legal provisions are lacking, leaving villagers unaware until their lands are already cleared and fenced off. Local governments act as land brokers, prioritizing personal gain over resolving land disputes effectively. Consequently, ethnic Yang lose their primary livelihood, farmland, and crops without compensation, notification, or consent, leading to emotional and financial challenges, including fear, trauma, legal battles, and the inability to reclaim land. Moreover, deceptive external assistance further destroys community trust and undermines efforts to secure land rights. However, Yang villagers have demonstrated resilience and agency in resisting dispossession through various coping strategies, such as reclaiming land, cultivating crops on contested lands, negotiating with new landowners, and seeking external support. They also rent land from relatives and neighboring villages and engage in non-farm activities to sustain their livelihoods. This study highlights the complexities of coexisting customary and statutory land tenure systems. The clash between Yang villagers' customary practices and the government's statutory system creates challenges in determining which system takes precedence, threatening land tenure security. The study contributes to understanding land grabbing by focusing on local power relations and control over land and resources, often overlooked in broader narratives. It underscores the urgent need for policy reforms to address the complexities of coexisting land tenure systems, protect vulnerable communities' rights, and promote good governance.