Displaced
Rohingya in Rakhine State. PHOTO: Evangelos Petratos/EU Humanitarian Aid and
Civil Protection/Flickr
By Kay Zin Oo
July 23, 2013
Myanmar’s Minister of Immigration and Population
Khin Yi told reporters on July 21 that his office has requested assistance from
Islamic leaders and international organizations in collating the names and
numbers of Muslim refugees from the communal violence that plagued Rakhine
State last year.
Minister Khin Yi said, “We asked for help from
Islamic leaders and international organizations to persuade the Bengali
[Rohingya] people to accept the work being conducted. Many refuse to
collaborate with the authorities, but accept the non-government bodies and
international organizations.”
He said that they must finish this head count in
Rakhine State before a nationwide census which is scheduled to be conducted
from March 30 to April 10, 2014.
“Conducting a census has nothing to do with the
military or politics,” he added. “It is for the development of the country so
no nationality has a right to stop it or interfere with it.”
Mizzima earlier reported that eight suspects had
been arrested by police in connection with the obstruction of data collection
among refugees at Thetkepyin village in Sittwe, Rakhine State. The eight are
due to be put on trial in the near future.
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