The simultaneous protests were held in the state capital, Sittwe, and in Kyaukphyu, Maungdaw, Pone Narkyun, Myaypone and Mrauk-U townships, starting at 1pm.

“We will protest using all available means if the government allows ‘Rohingya’ to be used as a category in the census,” said U Than Tun, who spoke at the protest in Sittwe and is a member of a committee that opposes the presence in the state of those it calls “Bengalis”.

Concern was expressed at the protests that if the people in Rakhine State who call themselves Rohingya were allowed to identify themselves as such in the census, most of the population would be listed as being Rohingya.

The protests also heard calls for the immediate implementation of the 1982 Citizenship Law, which requires proof of three generations of residence in Myanmar to qualify for citizenship.

The protests were organised by Rakhine civil society groups, monks and township officials from the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party.

Among those who attended the protests was the Venerable U Wirathu, who is a key supporter of  the campaign to ban inter-faith marriage.

U Wirathu told Mizzima in a telephone interview that he had attended the protest in Myaypone because he wanted to “strengthen” the event.

U Wirathu has been visiting Rakhine State since March 10 to preach about safeguarding Buddhism and national identify.

A Muslim elder from Maungdaw, U Hla Thein, told Mizzima in a telephone interview that the Islamic community in the state was yet to decide about filling in the census, which will take place throughout the nation from March 30 to April 10.

U Hla Thein, who declined to comment on the protests, was a member of commission appointed by the government to investigate reports of violence in Du CheeYar Tan village in Maungdaw Township in January.

The commission released its findings to the public on March 11 and they included a recommendation that eligible members of the Muslim community be granted citizenship under the relevant provisions of the 1982 Citizenship Law.