Meet the Speakers: Jonathan Liljeblad

Jonathan Liljeblad was born in Myanmar as a member of the Pa’Oh Indiginous peoples and grew up in Sweden and the United States.

His analysis Intersections of Ecocide, Indigenous Struggle, & Pro-Democracy Conflict: Implications of Post-Coup Myanmar for Ecocide in International Criminal Law considers Myanmar's current conflict as a potential case for future ecocide prosecution.

The article focuses on the intersectional character of power dynamics across a range of issue spaces tied to Indigenous minorities and the environment within Myanmar, and explores their implications for current discourses over the meaning of ecocide.

Jonathan Liljeblad holds a PhD and JD, both from the University of Southern California, and a BS from the California Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the complexities of promoting international norms in developing countries, with his studies centered on cases involving Indigenous rights, human rights, and environment.

His field work is primarily in Asia, where he is supported through engagement with organizations such as the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, Asia Development Bank, International Commission of Jurists, Danish Institute of Human Rights, and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. Jonathan was born in Myanmar as a member of the Pa'Oh Indigenous peoples, and grew up in Sweden and the United States.