Census stalled in KIO-controlled areas

 

The Minister for Immigration and Population Khin Ye met with KIO Major General Gwan Maw on May 13 but they were unable to agree on how to cooperate to finalise the census in conflict areas. 

“At the meeting, Gwan Maw and his people said they will cooperate on the census in the remaining 97 villages. In my opinion, there won’t be much census. If they are to collect in areas where there are land mines, those going into those area need to attend training. Until now, there is no one coming for training,”said Director-General Myint Kyaing from the Ministry of Immigration and Population.

June 15 was the deadline for collecting census data after an extension period to allow census collectors to reach remote areas. There is no report made to the Central Census Committee about continuing to collect data in KIO controlled areas.

The KIO said they are not objecting to the census programme, and and have accepted that a census is needed for the good of the country. However, recent clashes between the army and Kachin rebels in April and May have heightened tensions in the region and made it harder to collect data in contested areas. 

Fighting between the Myanmar Army and KIA broke out on April 10 in Man Win Gyi in southern Kachin State. Security incidents have been reported regularly in the area since then.

After the deadline of the national census on April 10, an eight-week extension was added due to technical delays. Up to 110 remote villages in Kachin State remained unregistered by the census committee, and at present only 90 villages remain.

The initial census report will be declared in August this year while a more detailed account will be publicised in May 2015, the Ministry of Immigration and Population announced.

A total of 10.7 million families have been registered within the official period between March 30 and April 10, the central census commission announced.

The last comprehensive census was in 1931. The one in 1983 skipped many areas where conflict raged between government troops and armed ethnic forces.