1. U Ngwe Thein
COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE OF RURAL LAND RESOURCES IN YWAY GONE VILLAGE TRACT, BAGO REGION, BURMA
THEINGI MAY SOE
RURAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
USAID TGCC PROGRAM
MARCH 22, 2017
March 22, 2017

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Burma is a country where many ethnic people exist together
Rich in natural resources
70% live in rural areas and rely on land and agriculture for their livelihoods
Land is a vital natural resource, particularly for the most vulnerable
Land reform is a critical area to support rural development
March 22, 2017

3. NATIONAL LAND USE POLICY
The National Land Use Policy (NLUP) was endorsed in January 2016 as an important step in the development of a new National Land Law
NLUP takes into consideration the voices of vulnerable communities
LTP has been testing elements of the NLUP at pilot sites in two rural communities
Limited information about communities’ knowledge of their land resources and the national legal framework
This study attempts to bring the voices and knowledge of such vulnerable communities into the national dialogue
March 22, 2017

4. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Strengthen evidence base of community members’ knowledge and understanding of:
Their rural land resources
Existing land law and policy
Use of land information to engage in public participation for policy consultation
Their land tenure security
March 22, 2017

5. STUDY LOCATION Bago Region Yway Gone Village Tract
4 Villages: Heingyu, San Gyi, Yway Gone, Bant Bway Gone
Most residents are Barmar, except Heingyu village, which is ethnic Kayin people with some recent Barma arrivals
March 22, 2017

6. METHODOLOGY Face-to-face interview 100 community members over age 18
Sampled from four villages
Data analysis with SPSS software (version 16.0)
March 22, 2017

7. RESPONDENT CHARACTERISTICS
51% Male and 49% Female
Monastery
Uneducated
Other
Bamboo cutting
Dependent
Driver
Hairdresser
Livestock
March 22, 2017

8. EDUCATION AND OCCUPATION TRENDS
Farmers and daily workers have lower levels of education
Those with higher levels of education work as merchants or move to other areas
March 22, 2017

9. EXISTING LAND LAW AND POLICY: FARMLAND LAW
Land Use Certificate (Form 7) gives right to work farm land
Form 7 grants ‘land use rights’ which can be transferred, exchanged
Formation of farm land management bodies and their duties and authorities
Land dispute resolution with respect to farming rights
March 22, 2017

10. EXISTING LAND LAW AND POLICY: NLUP
Land use administration
Land information management
Land dispute resolution
Land use rights of ethnic nationalities
Equal rights of men and women
Monitoring and evaluation
Research and development etc.
It is important for communities to understand the NLUP to improve their engagement in public consultation
March 22, 2017

11. COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE OF EXISTING LAND LAWS AND POLICY
Only 24 community members understood existing land law and policy
Men working as farmers had higher levels of understanding than others
89 community members stated that knowledge of existing land law/policy is important for their land tenure security and public participation
March 22, 2017

12. COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE OF EXISTING LAND LAWS AND POLICY
45% of women stated that it is important to learn about land-related laws and policies Women play a critical role in raising and feeding their families, managing their households, or tending to their crops and animals
U Ngwa Thein
March 22, 2017

13. FORMAL ENGAGEMENT IN LAND-RELATED DECISION MAKING
Farmland Law mandates formation of Farmland Management Body at multiple levels (Region/State, district, township, ward or village tract)
Community members can participate in village tract level Farmland Management Body
Farmland Management Body role is to scrutinize all cases in accordance with law with respect to the right to work farmland for registration, transferring, recording of transfers in register book, receiving and deciding land disputes as well as cases of appeal and revision
March 22, 2017

14. FARMLAND MANAGEMENT BODY ENGAGEMENT
77 community members did not know that their village tract has a Farmland Management Body
At village tract level, committee members include Village Tract Administrator and village leaders from each village. All members were male.
March 22, 2017

15. WOMEN’S ENGAGEMENT IN LAND DECISION MAKING
Women are involved in land decision making at the family level
63 community members stated that women (especially mothers and wives) participate in land-related decision making with family members in order to lease or transfer land
Women are not engaged in formal decision making bodies
37 community members stated that women could not be involved in land related decision making at village tract level because they were busy with their chores, no space for women, lack of time to be involved in the committee, no invitation to attend meetings
91 community members strongly believe that both men and women should have equal land rights to participate in land use committee
March 22, 2017

16. LAND USE RIGHTS
Community members report using land resources for multiple purposes: agriculture, forest, settlement area, grazing
Community members understand the importance of land use certificates (Form 7) for land tenure security
50 community members have their own land for cultivation (title) but the rest were landless
Of those who have title on land, 48 community members also have land use certificates (Form 7)
March 22, 2017

17. LAND USE RIGHTS
85% of community members only had male names on their land documentation (title and land use certificate)
7 community members had female names on documentation
Women expressed more interest in individual land rights than communal land rights
44 community members requested technical skills to manage their land
March 22, 2017

18. KEY CHALLENGES OF COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE ON RURAL LAND RESOURCES
Low education level
Language barriers
Lack of communication with local authorities
Limited information sharing and transparency
Lack of land information resource center
Lack of legal recognition of other lands and their customary rights
March 22, 2017

19. Education and outreach increases public awareness, information sharing, and transparency
Increased public participation by communities, stronger voice of communities
Stronger accountability by listening and responding to the voice of community and keeping commitments to communities
Good Land Governance
WAY FORWARD
Working Together
Civil Society Organizations
Local NGOs, INGOs
Government
Private Sector
Communities
March 22, 2017

20. Theingi May Soe TheingiMay.Soe@tetratech.com
March 22, 2017