Myanmar - ICCA Consortium

Karen Indigenous youth are leading self-determination and revitalizing territories of life in Myanmar: Esther Wah

19 September 2023

Esther Wah is the Secretary of the All Burma Indigenous Peoples Alliance (ABIPA) and a Council member (Thematic representative for youth and intergenerational relations) of the ICCA Consortium. In this interview, Ms. Wah talks about how the Indigenous Karen youth are becoming a driving force in securing self-determination and revitalizing the Indigenous governance and management systems in our ancestral territories of life. Read more ▸

New report: Myanmar’s environmental human rights defenders continue to resist the military junta

21 July 2023

The report published by the “All Burma Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance (ABIPA)” illustrate the state of environmental human rights in Myanmar and the strategies pursued by the defenders in the face of violent crackdowns by the military rulers. Read more ▸

Our fight for the forest – the future of Indigenous territories in the wake of the Myanmar coup

5 March 2023

Forests in Indigenous territories in Myanmar face an uncertain future. The military has targeted environmental defenders for their work protecting their lands from theft and destruction by military-run companies and their cronies. Read more ▸

Local Indigenous solutions to global challenges: A statement by the Indigenous delegation from Burma/Myanmar to COP15

16 January 2023

The success of Indigenous solutions to pressing conservation challenges in Burma/Myanmar is well-known despite the insurmountable violence and hardships that Indigenous Peoples face in the country. Read more ▸

Conflict, oppression, and Indigenous territories of life: local solutions to global challenges in Burma

9 December 2022

On December 10, 2022, at the UN Biodiversity Summit, CBD COP15, a delegation of Indigenous leaders from Burma will speak about the successes of Indigenous solutions to pressing conservation challenges despite the insurmountable violence and hardships that indigenous peoples in Burma face. Read more ▸

The Fight for the Forest: Indigenous Peoples in Burma speak out on threats following the February military coup

12 November 2021

Following the military coup in February 2021, Indigenous communities in Burma have faced nearly insurmountable threats to their lives, lands and forests. An escalation in armed conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands and put new pressures on the forests, as generals attempt to consolidate their control. In a 30 October event organised in the lead up to COP26, brave Indigenous leaders from across Burma speak out about the challenges they face and the ways in which the international community can support the struggles of Indigenous Peoples to protect the forests. Read more ▸

Event invitation: Indigenous Peoples speak out on military coup in Burma

22 October 2021

Join our Members and Honorary members and other Indigenous leaders in Burma/Myanmar for an online event on 30 October called: “The Future of Our Forests: Voices of Indigenous peoples of Burma on the Future of the Forest and Climate Change Mitigation in the Wake of the Military Coup”. Read more ▸

Salween: Indigenous Karen peoples’ aquatic commons and fisheries under Burmese military assault

26 May 2021

Karen environmental leader Paul Sein Twa took part in the recently concluded Twentieth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. He spoke as a panelist in a side event titled “Indigenous peoples’ inland small-scale fisheries for healthy food systems.” This article is an adaptation of his speech. Read more ▸

Rawang Young Group

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Indigenous peoples under new attacks in Myanmar: An open letter and call to action

5 April 2021

Military airstrikes on the Salween Peace Park starting on 27 March 2021 have affected tens of thousands of Indigenous villagers in northern Karen State in Burma/Myanmar. The ICCA Consortium has issued an open letter and call to action condemning the military’s human rights violations and violence against Indigenous peoples, ethnic groups, and other innocent civilians. Read more ▸

Alert: Military junta bombs Salween Peace Park in Indigenous Karen territory after coup d’état in Burma/Myanmar

5 April 2021

The military began a series of deadly airstrikes on Indigenous Karen villages in the heart of the award-winning Salween Peace Park in Karen State. The ICCA Consortium stands in solidarity and support with our Indigenous sisters and brothers of Burma/Myanmar and vehemently condemns all human rights violations and violence against innocent civilians. Read more ▸

Congratulations to the 2020 Equator Prize Winners!

5 June 2020

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners — including the five Indigenous peoples and communities who are affiliated with the ICCA Consortium membership. Read more ▸

Virtual Is the New Normal as ICCA Southeast Asia Holds 2nd Regional Assembly

5 June 2020

Members, Honorary members, and partners from across Southeast Asia took to cyberspace for the 2nd Southeast Asia Regional Assembly from 1-4 June 2020. The regional council members and regional representation in the ICCA Consortium’s global Council were designated and the route forward for the region was collectively decided. Read more ▸

Tanawthari Landscape of Life: a Community-led alternative to top-down conservation

22 May 2020

The Tanawthari Landscape of Life protects the rich biodiversity of the Tanintharyi region in Myanmar with the power of Indigenous peoples’ knowledge. Read more ▸

Second South East Asia Regional Assembly from 1-4 June

19 May 2020

The gathering provides an online venue for sharing and learning from each other about the territories of life in the region. This year’s gathering has the further aim of continuing the ICCA Consortium’s regionalisation process in Southeast Asia. Check the programme! Read more ▸

Ray of Hope and Challenges for Rawang Indigenous Peoples’ Territories of Life

21 January 2020

In Myanmar, the Rawang Youth group and its allies are working hard to raise awareness about the value of territories of life, and seeking better recognition for these territories and the rights of the Indigenous Rawang people. Htonphu Nin Htay and Aye Myat Thandar tell us about their work and the emergence of the Rawang Youth group. Read more ▸

Yes To Life, No To Mining Launches new ‘Emblematic Cases’ From Frontline Communities

16 September 2019

A new collection of interactive case studies from the Yes to Life, No to Mining Network, of which the ICCA Consortium is part, shares the stories of communities resisting mining, restoring damaged ecosystems, and protecting and developing alternatives to extractivism. Read more ▸

UN Watchdog Visits Myanmar to Investigate Conservation Project Jeopardizing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

23 July 2019

The United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) independent watchdog visited Myanmar to investigate a large conservation project posing grave risks to indigenous communities in the Tanintharyi Region, an area of the country that has seen decades of armed conflict during Myanmar’s 70-year civil war. Read more ▸

Myanmar ICCA Working Group Grows Stronger and Plans Further Actions

17 June 2019

On June 2019, the Myanmar ICCA Working Group held its bi-annual meeting. It was an occasion to prepare the documentation of ICCAs and plan strategies for engaging with the government to advocate for the recognition of these territories Read more ▸