52 In defense of land rights: A monitoring report on land conflicts in six Asian countries Administrative causes n n n n n n Technical causes n n n n n Causes of political economy n n n n n n Lack of conflict management capacity of government officials Delayed land survey Limited access to land administration, especially for the poor and rural population Insufficient information to the public Contradiction between judiciary and land ministry No updated data and ideas about tax, court fees, prices of stamps etc. Missing or inaccurate surveying Missing land register (e.g. destroyed) or one that does not meet modern requirements Lack of modern land management system Lack of proper documents keeping/storage Falsification of deeds Change in the political and economic system Exercise of political influence No political commitments to resolve land conflicts and land grabbing Political corruption, State capture and land grabbing Political (and economic) support for big agricultural investments, which go against the poor peasants State land acquisitions/expropriations for infrastructure & investment areas (i.e., establishment of special economic zones) Impacts of land conflicts Land conflicts often have extensive negative effects on economic, social, spatial, and ecological development. This is especially true in developing countries and countries in transition, where land market institutions are weak, opportunities for economic gain by illegal action are widespread, and many poor people lack access to land (Wehrmann, 2008). Land conflicts can have disastrous effects on individuals as well as on groups and even entire nations. Many conflicts that are perceived to be clashes between different cultures are actually conflicts over land and related natural resources (Wehrmann, 2008). It is said that 80 percent of criminal offences today stem from land disputes (Saleh, 2015). Victim families take the toll financially, and in terms of safety. One study states that some 18 percent of families in the country pay 266 USD to police and 65 USD to local arbitrators as bribes for the resolution of pending cases of land disputes (BRAC HRLS-PRI, 2014). ANGOC According to the study, 7.5 percent of households involved in land conflicts have experienced physical violence. Lawyers’ fees account for about 60 percent of the total costs for resolving a dispute. The total cost to see through a land dispute is 45 percent of a household’s annual income.