The 2014 Myanmar Census And The Rohingya Ethnic Group Timeline - Update 11
RB News
Kyauktaw (March 31, 2014) – Today the enumerators conducted the census at Lat Saung Kauk, Apaukwa, Pyarbat, Shwe Hlaing village tracts in Kyauktaw Township. The enumerators asked questions (1) to (7) and stopped further questions when the people answered that they are Rohingya at question (8).
Reportedly the enumerators omitted question (8) for some Rohingyas and asked the remaining 40 questions. Those unfortunate Rohingyas will surely be listed in code 910 – Bangladeshi. After conducting in Lat Saung Kauk, the enumerators left the Rohingya translators and left for Shwe Hlaing village. They also conducted the census at Pauktaw Palaung and Sin Owe Pauktaw villages without the translators. It is against the census law but the enumerators are doing everything according to their desire.
---------------
Pauktaw (March 31, 2014) – Today at 10 am more than 100 enumerators and security personnels arrived at Sin Tet Maw village in Pauktaw Township. Their first question to the respondents was about ethnicity. As all clearly answered they are Rohingyas, the enumerators left the village without conducting. The village has about 700 households.
--------------------
Minbya (March 31, 2014) – On March 30, 2014 at 2:15 pm the enumerators, departmental officers and police force came to Paik Thay hamlet of Kin Seik village tract in Minbya Township. The group just asked from four households which ethnicity they belonged to. The group left from the hamlet for Tha Dar village as the household heads answered that they are Rohingya. The group didn’t conduct any questions to anyone from Paik Thay hamlet.
------------------------
Sittwe (March 31, 2014) – This morning a crowd of security personnel and enumerators arrived at Bumay and Man Kyi Myaing villages in Sittwe. They asked from every house about the ethnicity before conducting the census. As everyone claimed that they are Rohingya, they left from the villages without conducting. Bumay has about 300 Rohingya houses and Man Kyi Myaing has about 200.
------------------------
Maungdaw (March 31, 2014) – This morning the group of enumerators and security personnel arrived at Tha Wyn Chaung village tract, Ywa Thit hamet which is located in sector (5). They told Mohammed Ali, Layru and Nurul Haque that they will conduct the census. When the men asked whether the Rohingya ethnicity will be allowed or not, the group promptly answered that they won’t. Then the men then told the group they will only answer the questions if the term Rohingya is allowed. The team left from the village without conducting any other one.
On March 30th, a group arrived at Myint Hlut village tract, Zone Kar hamlet. They conducted three families. They tried to omit the question (8) but the families promptly pointed out that they were omitting the ethnicity question. Finally the enumerators left from the houses and stick a paper that at the houses that conducting completed. The families are of Mamed Rafique S/o Basir Ahmed, Mamed Rashid S/o Basir Ahmed and Daw Daw Lu D/o Salamat.
-------------------------
Kyauktaw (March 30, 2014) – The enumerators and security personnel arrived at Paik Thay Muslim village in Kyauktaw Township at 1 pm today. The enumerators stopped asking further questions and left at 3:30 pm after the villagers claimed that they are Rohingyas and stated that their ethnicity has to be registered in the census.
The group of enumerators will be conducting the census at Apaukwa and Lat Saung Kauk villages tomorrow according to locals.
Rathedaung (March 30, 2014) – A group that consists of 6 Captains from military, 8 Police, 6 immigration officials, 7 census conducting committee members, and 6 Rakhines arrived to Lun Taung Rohingya hamlet in Sin Khoun Taing village tract, Kyaut Tan region in Rathedaung Township at 3 pm today.
First, they asked question no. 8, to identify their ethnicity, from the head of every household. Everyone voiced out that they belong to Rohingya ethnicity. Then the enumerators marked the building as they have already conducted the census. Conducting of the census was done within two hours and more than 400 households participated. Although the villagers could claim Rohingya, they are in fear of whether the enumerators wrote as they claimed or not.
They said the enumerators could change or write differently as they claimed since they had not gotten a chance to check the forms.
Buthidaung (March 30, 2014) – The enumerators went to No. (3) ward in Buthidaung Township at 2:30 pm to conduct the census. They urged the people that they won’t conduct the census if anyone claims to be Rohingya. They will only conduct if any other term is claimed. The Rohingya respondents told them that they are ready to participate in the census if the term Rohingya is allowed to be registered.
But the enumerators told them to think 2 or 3 days and reply them whether will register with any other term or not. The Rohingyas responded them that they don’t need time to think. Rohingya is their original term and they won’t think to use any unrelated one.
Maungdaw (March 30, 2014) – Today at 12:30 pm the group of enumerators along with the Maungdaw Township Immigration Department Chief, arrived at Myo Ma West Ward (No. 1 Ward) in Maungdaw Township. They have conducted seven households but as the people claimed themselves as Rohingya, they didn’t ask further questions and left.
Another group of enumerators arrived at Taungbro Lat Yar village at 3 pm today. They have conducted 4 households. As they weren't satisfied with the answers of the households, they didn’t ask further questions and left. Four households claimed themselves as Rohingya. 4 households who answered question no. (1) to (6) are:
(1) Majed S/o Gulal (85-years-old)
(2) Iqbal S/o Abdul Ameen (27-years-old)
(3) Abdullah S/o Shaker (32-years-old)
(4) Yacub S/o Mamed Husson (30-years-old)
[Taungbro Lat Yar Report: Rohingya Eye]
-----
Sittwe (March 30, 2014) – Today afternoon the team of the enumerators arrived at Basara (Sanpya) village in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan state. They have conducted at least twenty Rohingya households but as every household identified themselves as Rohingya, the enumerators didn’t agree to register the term as the Rohingya people claimed.
According to Basara villagers, the enumerators pressured them a lot to claim themselves as Bengalis. However the villagers told the team that they are Rohingya and they will never agree to identify themselves as Bengalis. The enumerators asked question no. (1) to (7) and they stopped when the people claimed Rohingya at the question no. (8). The enumerators also didn’t use the proper form for the census. Instead, they used blank papers from school writing books. As the peoples’ answers didn’t satisfy them, finally they left from the village.
-----
Buthidaung, Arakan (March 29, 2014) - Today at 2 pm the census started in Ward No. (3), Buthidaung Township of Arakan state. Although the census is going to start on March 30th, they checked the motels, guest houses and hostels. The enumerating group including security personnel was about 70 people.
First they started with a private teacher at a hostel. They asked from serial no. 1 to 7 and when the man answered “Rohingya” at question no. 8, the enumerators said that there are no Rohingya in Myanmar, so he would have to write another name. The man told them that he is a Rohingya and has no other name to write. The enumerators threatened him several times to claim another ethnicity instead of Rohingya but the man told them at the end that he had no alternative answer and he is not willing to answer further questions if he can’t be accepted as Rohingya. The enumerating team left from the place and didn’t register the man as Rohingya.
According to the man, they didn’t show him what they wrote him as in the form.
