About this episode
Scott Leckie and Jose Arraiza discuss the complexities of land rights and governance in Myanmar, highlighting the impact of colonial policies and military regimes on current land systems and displacement issues.
Episode #547: Scott Leckie, an international human rights lawyer, and Jose Arraiza, a specialist in housing, land, and property rights and citizenship in conflict-affected settings, argue that land in Myanmar is not simply a resource but a central mechanism through which power is exercised, inequality is produced, and political authority is maintained. They emphasize that housing, land, and property (HLP) rights extend beyond formal ownership to include anyone whose ability to remain on land is vulnerable to arbitrary interference. The roots of Myanmar’s current land system can be traced to colonial policies that classified inhabited land as “wasteland,” which enabled appropriation. This framework was later adopted by the country’s military regimes; as a result, this legacy persists in a system where land can be taken with minimal process and little recourse, allowing authorities to reallocate land and consolidate control. The effects of this system are most visible in the interaction between conflict and land governance. While large-scale displacement is primarily driven by armed conflict, the land system determines what happens afterward. Displaced people frequently lose…
People in this episode
Guests: Scott Leckie, Jose Arraiza
Topics covered
- land rights
- human rights
- conflict
- displacement
- political authority
- colonial policies
Keywords
- land governance
- HLP rights
- dispossession
- military regimes
- colonial legacy
- conflict-affected settings
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Myanmar
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