ICC NOTE: Latest census figures will be released by the Ministry of Labour in Myanmar which will provide the most updated numbers regarding religious affiliation among its population. Details of ethnic groups will remain excluded from the release. News of the release has been welcomed with mixed reviews as some fear of sectarian violence erupting over the numbers, specifically from the nationalist group Ma Ba Tha. It is likely the number of Muslims and Christians in Burma will be higher than the Buddhist group believes potentially prompting new initiatives to move Myanmar towards a purely Buddhist nation. 

6/1/2016 Myanmar (Myanmar Times) – The Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population has collated the remaining census figures on religion and ethnicity as part of its 100-day project.

The religion data will be published as soon as the booklets are prepared, checked and printed, a process that is likely to be completed within two months, according to U Myint Kyaing, a permanent secretary at the ministry.

“We will release the numbers for each religion and the percentage breakdown by religion throughout our country,” he said. “We have been ready to release the remaining data since before the previous government’s term ended, but now the new government has agreed to release it.”

Ethnic and religious data from the 2014 census was withheld from results published last year due in part to ongoing debates over who was able to take part in the survey. Respondents were told to identify only from among a list of the 135 officially recognised ethnic groups, even though the catalogue was criticised for being out of date and inaccurate.

While the religious data will be released, the ethnic data will continue to be withheld pending consultations with ethnic minority groups, U Myint Kyaing told The Myanmar Times.

“Our ministry will release the ethni-city information after discussions with the ethnic leaders. But we cannot set a date in the current situation,” he said.

He added that there were “unspecified problems” with the ethnic data, and that the discussions will likely take some time.

The substantial non-enumerated population – roughly estimated to be 1.2 million people – included groups in areas controlled by ethnic armed groups in Kachin and Kayin states. The largest population that was not tallied were those in Rakhine State who self-identify as Rohingya, a term the government decided not to allow after a last-minute change.

The International Technical Advisory Board, the United Nations Population Fund and a national-level consultant committee had all backed releasing the full census results after a conference in October. The board also advised the Department of Population to publish the data on national races by state and region, listed in alphabetical order to minimise controversy.

Former Immigration and Population Department director U Nyi Nyi told The Myanmar Times before the election that the religious data was being kept secret to avoid shattering the peace and stability of the state. In February, the same argument was used about a release during the transition period.

Religious groups responded to news of the impending religious census release with mixed reactions.

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