List of active autonomist movements in Asia

This is a list of currently active automomist movements in Asia. Separatism often refers to territorial autonomy.

Criteria

What is and is not considered an autonomist or secessionist movement is sometimes contentious. Entries on this list must meet three criteria:

1. They are active movements with active members.
2. They are seeking greater autonomy or self-determination for a geographic region (as opposed to personal autonomy).
3. They are citizens/people of the conflict area and do not come from another country.

Under each region listed is one or more of the following:

• De facto state (de facto entity): for unrecognized regions with de facto autonomy. (Excluding Uncontacted peoples)
• Proposed state: proposed name for a seceding sovereign state.
• Proposed autonomous area: for movements towards greater autonomy for an area but not outright secession.
  • De facto autonomous government: for governments with de facto autonomous control over a region.
  • Government-in-exile: for a government based outside of the region in question, with or without control.
  • Political party (or parties): for political parties involved in a political system to push for autonomy or secession.
  • Militant organisation(s): for armed organisations.
  • Advocacy group(s): for non-belligerent, non-politically participatory entities.
  • Ethnic/ethno-religious/racial/regional/religious group(s).

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan districts claimed by Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic

Territory of the short-lived Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic

• People: Talysh people
  • Proposed: Talysh province with regional administration within the borders of Azerbaijan ^[1]
    • Political organisation: Talysh National Movement
    • Government in exile: Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic ^[2]

Lezgistan

• Ethnic group: Lezgins
  • Proposed: Autonomy for Lezgistan
  • Political organisation: Sadval movement, ^[3] Federal Lezgian National and Cultural Autonomy

Bangladesh

Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh

Chittagong Hill Tracts ^[4]

Main article: Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict

• Ethnic group: Jumma people
  • Proposed: Autonomy for the Chittagong Hill Tracts ^{[5] [6]}
  • Political parties: Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, United People's Democratic Front

Georgia

Javakheti

• Ethnic group: Armenians in Samtskhe–Javakheti
  • Proposed: Autonomy for the region Javakhk (Javakheti) or unification with Armenia
  • Political party: United Javakhk Democratic Alliance ^{[7] [8] [9]}

India

Main article: Proposed states and union territories of India

Rabha Hasong

• State or extended autonomous area: Rabha Hasong ^{[10] [11]}
  • Ethnic group: Rabha people
  • Militant organizations: Rabha Jatiya Aikya Manch, Rabha Vipers Army (RVA), ^[12] Rabha National Liberation Army, ^[13] Rabha Jatiya Mukti Bahini (RJMB) ^{[14] [15] [16]}

Gorkhaland

• Ethnic group: Indian Gorkhas
  • Proposal: creation of a separate autonomous Gorkhaland state within India ^[17]
  • Political movement: Gorkhaland movement
  • Political parties: Gorkha National Liberation Front, Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

Ladakh

• Ethnic group: Ladakhis
  • Proposed autonomous region: Ladakh ^{[18] [19] [20] [21]}

Garo Hills

• Ethnic group: Garo people
  • Proposal: making the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council into an autonomous state of India ^{[22] [23] [24]}
  • Political party: Garo National Council

Bundelkhand

• Ethnic group: Bundelkhandi
  • Proposal: making the region of Bundelkhand into a state of India ^[25]
  • Political party: Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha

Vidarbha

Main article: Vidarbha movement

• Ethnic group: Marathi people
  • Proposal: separation of Vidarbha from the state of Maharashtra ^[26]
  • Political party: Vidarbha Rajya Party, Vidarbha Vikas Party, Nag Vidarbha Andolan Samiti

Goa

• Ethnic group: Goans
  • Proposed autonomous region: Goa ^[27]
  • Political party: Niz Goenkar Revolution Front

Jammu region

• Ethnic group: Dogri people
  • Proposal: separation of the Jammu region from Jammu and Kashmir as a separate state within India ^[28]
  • Political party: Ikkjutt Jammu

Bodoland

• Ethnic group: Bodo people
  • Proposal: statehood for Bodoland ^{[29] [30]}
  • Political party: Bodo National Students Union ^[31]

Rayalaseema ^[32]

• Ethnic group: Telugu people
  • Proposed: turning Rayalaseema into a state of India
  • Political party: Rayalaseema Rashtra Samithi

Bhil Pradesh ^[33]

• Ethnic group: Bhil people
  • Proposed: creation of Bhil Pradesh as a state of India

Kosi-Seemanchal ^[34]

• Ethnic group: Maithils
  • Proposed: creation of a Seemanchal state in India

Kodagu district ^[35]

• Ethnic group: Kodava people
  • Proposed: autonomy for Kodagu district
  • Political party: Codava National Council

Barak Valley ^[36]

• Ethnic group: Bengalis
  • Proposed: creation of a Barak Valley state within India
  • Political party: Barak Democratic Front

Indonesia

Sumbawa

• Ethnic group: Sumbawan
  • Proposed autonomous area: Sumbawa ^[37]

Iraq

Assyria

Main articles: Assyrian nationalism, Assyrian struggle for independence, and Assyrian genocide

• Proposed autonomous area: Nineveh Plains
  • Ethnic group: Assyrians, Christians in Iraq, Mandaeans
    • Proposed state: Assyria
    • Political parties: Assyrian Democratic Movement, Assyrian Universal Alliance (member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization), Assyria Liberation Party
    • Militant organisation: Nineveh Plain Protection Units
    • Advocacy groups: Assyrian General Conference, Assyria Council of Europe
• Proposed autonomous area: Al-Rafidain Autonomous Region
  • Ethnic groups: Assyrians, Turkmen, Yazidis
    • Political parties: Turkmen Rescue Foundation, Yazidi Independent Supreme Council and the Al-Rafidain Organization

Proposed state: Basra ^{[38] [39] [40]}

• Current de jure and de facto autonomous region: Basra Governorate
  • Proposal: Basra has proposed uniting with the Dhi Qar and Maysan governorates as an autonomous region or total independence ^[41]

Turkmeneli

• Ethnic group: Iraqi Turkmen
  • Proposed autonomous region or state: Turkmeneli ^{[42] [43] [44]}
  • Political party: Iraqi Turkmen Front (member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization) ^[45]

Sinjar District

• Ethnic group: Yazidis
  • Proposal: autonomy for the Sinjar region, including the Sinjar Mountains
  • Political parties: Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress, Sinjar Alliance ^{[46] [47]}

Sunnis in Iraq ^{[48] [49]}

• Religious group: Sunnis
  • Proposed: creation of an autonomous Sunni region within Iraq

Al-Zubair District ^[50]

• Proposed: elevating in the Al-Zubair District into a province

South Iraq ^[51]

• Religious group: Shiites
  • Proposed: autonomy for south Iraq

Japan

Kansai region ^[52]

• Ethnic group: Japanese people
  • Proposed: autonomy for Kansai region
  • Political party: Union of Kansai Governments

Kyushu ^[53]

• Ethnic group: Japanese people
  • Proposed: creation of a Kyushu Prefecture

Kazakhstan

Kyzylorda Region ^[54]

• Ethnic group: Koryo-saram
  • Proposed: autonomy for the Koryo-saram

Nepal

Tharuhat ^[55]

• Ethnic group: Tharu people
  • Proposed: autonomy for Tharuhat

Kathmandu Valley ^[56]

• Ethnic group: Newar people
  • Proposed: creation of an autonomous Newar autonomous region
  • Political party: Newa Rastriya Mukti Morcha

Pakistan

Punjab

Main article: Saraikistan province movement

• Proposed: Southern Punjab be separated into a separate province called Saraikistan in the Saraiki-speaking areas
  • Ethnic group: Saraikis
  • Political party: Saraikistan Qaumi Council, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), and Pakistan People's Party

Hazarewals ^[57]

See also: Hazara Province Movement

• Ethnic group: Hazarewals
  • Proposed: establishment of a separate Hazara province in Pakistan
  • Advocacy group: Hazara province movement

Kalasha Valleys ^[58]

• Ethnic group: Kalash people
  • Proposed: a separate province for the Kalasha Valleys

Bahawalpur ^[59]

• Ethnic group: Saraikis
  • Proposed: creation of a Bahawalpur province within Pakistan

Philipines

Cordillera Administrative Region

• Ethnic group: Igorot
  • Proposed autonomous area: Cordillera Autonomous Region ^[60] or Autonomous Region of the Cordillera ^{[61] [62]}
  • Advocacy groups: Autonomy in the Administrative Cordillera Movement, ^[63] Cordillera People's Liberation Army , ^{[64] [65]} Cordillera Bodong Administration ^[66]

Syria

De facto autonomous region:

Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava)

Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava)

• Larger ethnic groups: Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians
• Smaller ethnic groups: Armenians, Turkmen, Yazidis, Circassians, Christians
  • Political organisation: Syrian Democratic Council
  • Militant organisation: Syrian Democratic Forces

Autonomist movements:

Druze ^[67]

• Ethnic group: Druze
  • Proposed Autonomous Region: Jabal Druze State (Suwayda Governorate) or unification with Israel ^{[68] [69]} (Quneitra Governorate)
  • Political organisation: Supreme Legal Committee in Suwayda
  • Militant organisation: National Guard

Assyria

See also: Proposals for Assyrian autonomy in Iraq and Assyrian independence movement

• Ethnic group: Assyrians, Christians in Syria ^[70]
  • Proposed state: Assyria
  • Political parties: Syriac Union Party, Assyrian Democratic Organization
  • Militant organisations: Syriac Military Council, Sutoro
  • Advocacy groups: Assyria Council of Europe,

Latakia Governorate and Tartus Governorate ^[71]

• Ethnic group: Alawites
  • Proposed: establishment of an autonomous Alawite state in Syria
  • Advocacy group: Alawite Party

Taiwan

Taiwanese indigenous peoples

• Ethnic group: Native Taiwanese
  • Proposed: autonomy for the indigenous peoples of Taiwan ^[72]
  • Political party: Taiwan First Nations Party ^[73]

Thailand

Isan ^[74]

• Ethnic group: Isan people
  • Proposed: autonomy for Isan
  • Advocacy group: New Isan Movement

Northern Thailand ^{[75] [76]}

• Ethnic group: Northern Thai people
  • Proposed: autonomy for Northern Thailand/Lan Na

Vietnam

Mekong Delta and South East Vietnam

• Ethnic group: Khmer Krom ^{[77] [78]}
  • Proposed: Autonomy for the Khmer Krom or unification with Cambodia ^{[ citation needed ]}
  • Political party: Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation

Yemen

Map of the proposed Hadhramaut Region in green

• Proposed autonomous area: Hadhramaut Region ^{[79] [80]}
  • De facto autonomous government: Hadramout National Council
  • Political parties: Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance, Hadhrami League,
  • Militant organisation(s): Hadhrami Elite Forces
  • regional groups: Hadharem, Mehri and Socotran

Tihamah ^{[81] [82]}

• Proposed: autonomy for Tihamah

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