Maungdaw, Arakan State: On July 5th, the deputy director general of Burma’s Border Guard Police (BGP) held a meeting at BGP headquarters, inviting religious leaders and elders from villages in northern Maungdaw’s police area No. 6 for a discussion about the census, said a participant at the meeting named Moktar Ahmed. Immigration officials and police officers from BGP headquarters were also present during the discussion.
At the meeting, the high-level BGP official said, “We are now compiling only population lists, not census information. In future rebellions groups will penetrate Maungdaw, so it’s very important to check the population lists and information about births and deaths in the area.”
According to a participant at the meeting, the BGP Deputy Director General asked the religious leaders and elders to encourage residents in their villages to participate in the population survey, but he received a mixed response from the attendees. For instance, one participant at the meeting who preferred not to be named said, “We will let you know after discussing this matter with the villagers.”
Local authorities, especially BGP police and immigration officers, have been trying to collect census information since March using various methods, including coercion. However, individuals who identify themselves as Rohingya often aren’t willing to participate in the census unless they’re allowed to be identified as “Rohingya” rather than “Bengali” on the census form, said a local youth named Rafique.
Meanwhile, BGP officers have reportedly been collecting Kyat 1,000 from every Rohingya individual who travels to Maungdaw Township holding a white card which identifies the person’s race as “Bengali.” But if Rohingya travelers possess white cards identifying their race as “Muslim,” then their cards will be seized and replaced with one that says “Bengali,” according to Rafique.
