Myanmar census may bring trouble
Play
Minorities concerned about political backlash over question on ethnicity
As Myanmar’s first nationwide census in 31 years nears, ethnic minority groups are stepping up a campaign to postpone the exercise for a few more months or risk a political backlash.
The census, to be conducted from March 30-April 10, contains 41 questions, the most controversial of which is number 8 on ethnicity, providing a list of 135 answers to choose from.
The list, dating back to the Citizens’ Act of 1982 that defined indigenous ethnic groups, is confusing, dividing the main ethnic groups into scores of sub-groups that sometimes indicate different clans, dialect groups or just different spellings of the same group.
Myanmar is an ethnically diverse and divided country, where the central government has been fighting ethnic-based insurgent groups since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
The British divided the country up into regions and territories defined by the country’s leading ethnic groups – the Chin, Kachin, Kayin (Karen), Kayah (Karenni), Mon, Rakhine and Shan states.
Burmans, the majority ethnic group in the country that was previously called Burma, account for more than 60 per cent of the estimated population of 60 million.
Come census time, the remaining 40 per cent of the population will need to identify themselves as one of 134 other ethnic groups, and many are suspicious of the Burman-run government’s motives in setting the question.
“We see the government’s intention is to try to divide the ethnic groups using the census results,” the Palaung State Liberation Front, an ethnic rebel group based in Shan State in northeastern Myanmar, said in a petition to the government.
Ethnic civil and insurgent groups want the census postponed until their concerns have been addressed.
“This census will further weaken the ethnic minority groups, because many Burmese, such as those of Indian descent, will opt to be Burmans because it will make it easier for them to get jobs,” said Bertil Lintner, author of several books on Myanmar insurgencies.
The census includes more than 33 Shan sub-groups. The predominantly Christian Chin, whose traditional home is Chin State in western Myanmar, have been divided into 53 sub-groups.
“Many Chin are confused and worried that we will become more divided by this census,” said Salai Bawi Thang, a spokeswoman for the Chin Human Rights Organisation.
The census comes at a time when the government of President Thein Sein has made tentative ceasefire agreements with a dozen ethnic insurgent groups, all of which are in danger of coming undone.
Insurgent groups will know if their concerns have been heeded by tomorrow, when the government plans to launch a publicity campaign on the census.
“If they keep on pushing this census, I am sure it will hurt the peace process, since we don’t trust each other already,” said Kheunsai Jaiyen, editor of the Shan Herald News Agency, a rebel publication.
“It means they are not listening to the people, and that the democracy they have been trumpeting for the past two years amounts to nothing,” he said.
The census could also have bearing on the general election scheduled for next year.
