Starting with a brief overview of Myanmar and its specificity in the South-East Asian region, the note addresses the main historical milestones in the making of land tenure, providing a synthesis of land tenure policies since Burman Kingdoms to the civilian transition up to 2020. It then characterizes the main agricultural and land tenure issues in the various agro-ecological zones of Myanmar – from paddy field in the lowlands (Delta and Dry Zone) to shifting cultivation and paddy-terraces in the uplands. Finally, it provides highlights of contemporary land reforms debates.

This note was written in the wake of the seminar in December 2019, before Myanmar’s military coup on 1st February 2021. Although most of the information in this note still prevails, the situation is expected to change rapidly and land rights may endure major set back in the coming months.