EDITORAL EMG
As Myanmar is a sovereign country, it has enacted strong laws that protect the inherent rights of its citizens. There is already a law that specifies the requirements in determining the citizenship of a person in this country. The Myanmar Citizenship Law states: “1982 Pyithu Hluttaw Law No. 4, Myanmar Citizenship Law shall be enacted starting from October 15, 1982.” This Law is known as the 1982 Citizenship Law, and it clearly states the requirements for citizenship.
Religious and racial issues have arisen ever since communal violence broke out in Rakhine State last year. The international community has been talking about Bengali and Rohingya issues. Apart from the racial and religious elements, foreign observers also regard the Bengali and Rohingya situation as a citizenship issue. Myanmar discussed these things only as a bilateral immigration issue, and anyone deserving of citizenship should be systematically recognised as citizens in accordance with the 1982 Citizenship Law. During this time, the Parliament also discussed the 1982 Citizenship Law.
However, the Human Rights Committee under the United Nations General Assembly, in a resolution on Tuesday, urged Myanmar to recognise the Rohingya minority as citizens in Myanmar.
Government officials, and political parties including the opposition party National League for Democracy, have responded to this announcement. They responded that this statement from the Human Rights Committee under the UN General Assembly interferes in Myanmar’s internal affairs and that citizenship can only be granted in accordance with the existing law.
According to the 1982 Myanmar Citizenship Law, the following persons born in or outside the State are also citizens: (a) persons born of parents, both of whom are citizens; (b) persons born of parents, one of whom is a citizen and the other an associate citizen (c) persons born of parents, one of whom and the other a naturalized citizen; (d) persons born of parents one of whom is (i) a citizen; or (ii) an associate citizen; or (iii) a naturalized citizen; and the other is born of parents, both of whom are associate citizens; (e) persons born of parents, one of whom is (i) a citizen; or (ii) an associate citizen; or (iii) a naturalized citizen; and the other is born of parents, both of whom are naturalized citizens; (f) persons born of parents one of whom is (i) a citizen; or (ii) an associate citizen; or (iii) a naturalized citizen; and the other is born of parents, one of whom is an associate citizen and the other a naturalized citizen.
Human rights refer to the freedom and rights of individual human beings. Only the existing Citizenship Law of a respective sovereign country can be the major factor in determining citizenship. Thus, Eleven Media wants to highlight the importance of respecting human rights and the importance of the existing Citizenship Law in recognising citizenship.
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