Executive Summary: "In the context of transition to a more open form of government, the Myanmar government has begun to liberalize land markets and, in 2012, enacted two major land-related laws. Implementing these new land laws has proven challenging, however, as it has been difficult to integrate these laws with the existing customary practices of various ethnic minorities. To address these and other issues UN-HABITAT Myanmar is assisting the Myanmar government in developing a Land Administration and Management Program (LAMP). As part of this process a team of Masters Students from Columbia University?s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) was invited to carry out a detailed study on customary land tenure in the southern area of Myanmar?s Shan State with a focus on three ethnic groups: the Shan, Pa-o, and Danu. The SIPA team completed a desk review of secondary source material and conducted two phases of field research. The first phase of field research was conducted in Yangon in January 2013 with the purpose of identifying opportunities and challenges the new land laws present. The second phase of field research sought to gather the impressions of farmers, community leaders, and local government representatives in southern Shan State. Information was gathered during a three-day ?worksh op” conducted in Taunggyi, the capital city of Shan State. The SIPA team?s objectives were to provide UN-HABIT AT Myanmar and the Myanmar government with needed information on three topics: 1) prevailing ideas on best practices in land management and registration procedures, 2) successful and unsuccessful land management practices in comparable countries in the region, and 3) the current status of customary land tenure and of the implementation process of the new land laws in Southern Shan State..."