List of active autonomist movements in Asia

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).

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

Chittagong Hill Tracts^[4]

• 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

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]

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

• 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

Sumbawa

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

Assyria

• 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

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

Kyzylorda Region^[54]

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

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

Punjab

• 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]

• 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

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]

De facto autonomous region:

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

• 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

Taiwanese indigenous peoples

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

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

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