Local ethnic people in Myanmar’s Rakhine State said more Bengalis from neighbouring Bangladesh entered Myanmar illegally due to the news about 2014 National Census in the country.
The issue was discussed at Rakhine State Development Forum held on September 29 in Yangon, also attended by Parliamentary Speaker Thura Shwe Mann.
They talked about weak security affairs in the state though the country has border fence with Bangladesh and said the number of Bengalis entering the state illegally by using boats via rivers and creeks in the state is still higher.
“Though a previous official special operation “Ngagarmin” had driven out all illegal Bengalis, they came in now like water leaking into as they heard about the census,” said Bo Min Phyu, a Rakhine advocate.
The Rakhine people say they support 1982 Citizenship Law absolutely and said it’s against the law that they [Bengalis] say they are Myanmar’s ethnic nationals.
“The Constitution is the core of all laws existing. White card is not included in the Constitution. It’s also not included in the 1982 Citizenship Law. So insisting on the white card is not lawful,” Bo Min Phyu added.
The Rakhine ethnics also urged the government to do the national census in 2014 according to 1982 Citizenship Law.
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