UN Population Fund to hold informal meeting with ethnic organizations

UN Population Fund to hold informal meeting with ethnic organizations

Published on Sunday, 16 March 2014 14:35

YANGON—The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will hold its first-ever informal meeting with ethnic organizations on Monday (March 17), to discuss ethnic community concerns about the national census, according to the Karen Women's Development Association (KWDA).

"The UNFPA has made an appointment with our ethnic organizations for tomorrow. We have learned that they [UNFPA] will not share the meeting minutes with the media because the discussion will be strictly informal. The meeting is about the nationwide census because our ethnic organizations are seriously concerned about the census," said Nan Su Su Hlaing from the KWDA.

The informal meeting will be held in Sanchaung Township, Yangon. Delegates representing civic organizations from Kachin, Chin, Kayin, Narga and Rakhine states will attend.

"Although the ethnic organizations have pointed out the need for a longer ethnic list, as well as the correct code numbers for taking part in the census, the government says it has spent a lot of money on supporting documents for the census. We don't know what data will be discussed in the meeting. Also, we will not be meeting them [UNFPA] at their office but at the office of the one of our civil society organisations," said Nan Su Su Hlaing.

In the past, the ethnic organizations have held such discussions with the UNFPA through meetings organized by the Central Census Commission.

Tomorrow's meeting will be the first without the participation of governmental organizations.

The ethnic organisations say they are worried that the government will use the results of the census to determine political decisions.

During the ethnic organizations' meeting with the Central Commission for the Census, the government made no definitive statement on whether or not the list of ethnic people would be amended, the organizations say.

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/un-population-fund-to-hold-informal-meeting-with-ethnic-organizations/