Myanmar on 29 March said Muslims would not be allowed to register as “Rohingya” in its first census in three decades despite UN assurances, on the eve of a survey that has fanned sectarian tensions. The move came as Buddhists in an unrest-hit western state vowed to boycott the census over fears it could lead to official recognition for the Rohingya, viewed by the United Nations as among the world’s most persecuted minorities.
The United Nations group backing Myanmar’s shambolic census has spoken out against a ban on Rohingya Muslims listing their ethnicity on the form amid reports that thousands of the persecuted minority are being excluded from the historic tally altogether. Myanmar’s government “explicitly agreed” with the U.N. that it would allow all people to declare their own ethnicity on the census, according to a statement released on 31 March by the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA).