The United Nations Population Fund has accused the Myanmar government of breaching international standards in the national census underway throughout the country by refusing to allow some respondents to self-identify their ethnicity.
The refusal to allow some respondents to self-identify could also undermine the credibility of census data, the UNFPA said in a statement released in Yangon on April 1.
The UNFPA said it was deeply concerned about the government's decision not to allow census respondents "who wish to self-identify their ethnicity as Rohingya to do so".
The UNFPA said that in its agreement with the United Nations on the census, the government made a commitment to conduct the exercise in accordance with international census standards and human rights principles.
"It explicitly agreed with the condition that each person would be able to declare what ethnicity they belong to, including those who wish to record their identity as of mixed ethnicity," the UNFPA said.
"Those not identifying with one of the listed ethnic categories would be able to declare their ethnicity and have their response recorded by the enumerator.
"Just before the start of the census, however, senior officials announced that people who wish to define their ethnicity as Rohingya will not be able to do so."
The UNFPA said it was "deeply concerned about this departure from international census standards, human rights principles and agreed procedures".
The UN agency, which has provided technical assistance to the government for the census, said it was concerned that preventing Rohingya from identifying themselves as such could heighten tensions in Rakhine State "as well as undermining the credibility of census data collected."
UNFPA said it expected the government to give the highest priority to protecting lives and preventing violence from occurring, and to fully respect and protect the human rights of everyone, including people who choose to define their ethnicity as Rohingya.
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/un-slams-departure-from-international-census-standards/
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