With few armed clashes since the 1990s, the primary protection concerns in Tanintharyi now relate to practices
such as arbitrary taxation and land confiscation, even if the frequency of these incidents has declined. As
elsewhere, both the government and the NSAs have a history of employing such tactics, forcing some
communities to form self-defence militias to protect themselves, their land and their property. Based on
information derived from the field, it appears that even in Tanintharyi there remains a deep mistrust of all
armed actors, despite the apparent stability in recent years.