Myanmar in Focus Programme

TNI’s Myanmar programme works to strengthen civil society, particularly ethnic civil society, and to support democratic reform, inclusive peace, and sustainable development in Myanmar. The Institute has worked on Myanmar since the early 1990s, documenting developments in ethnic regions and borderlands and building in-depth expertise over time. Today the programme brings together work on agrarian justice, alternative development, and humane drug policies, and is coordinated from TNI’s Amsterdam office in close collaboration with partners in the region.

In the field of drug policy, TNI has long analysed opium production and its relationship to national and regional drug policies. Working with civil society organisations, including the Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum, the programme examines the social and economic impacts of repressive supply-reduction strategies such as forced eradication, which disproportionately affect poppy-growing communities living in areas marked by poverty and conflict. It also works with local partners, including the Drug Policy Advocacy Group (DPAG) Myanmar, to promote drug law reform grounded in human rights, public health and harm reduction.

Myanmar is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, and questions of ethnic conflict, autonomy, and political representation remain central to the country’s future. Ethnic communities have long faced marginalisation and restrictions on their rights, shaped by decades of conflict and competition over land, resources, and political authority. TNI’s work in this area focuses on supporting the role of ethnic-based civil society organisations in peace processes, policy debates, and reform efforts.

Land and natural resources are another key area of TNI’s research and engagement. Rural communities in Myanmar have deep social, cultural, and economic ties to land, forests, water, and fisheries. At the same time, expanding commercial agriculture, extractive industries, and infrastructure projects have contributed to land confiscation, displacement, and growing pressure on local livelihoods, often in regions already affected by conflict. TNI works closely with local organisations and movements to advance policies that protect land rights, strengthen community control over natural resources, and prioritise the human rights of rural populations.

Learn more about our activities and achievements in our annual reports, or explore our publications for in-depth analysis of Myanmar’s political economy, land issues, drug policy, and peace processes.