The NBF, an alliance of ethnic political parties warned that if the census goes ahead as planned it could lead to the “disintegration of unity among ethnic nationalities”. NBF members and many other ethnic people across Burma are upset that the census is designed in such a way as to include various ethnic subgroups as full fledged ethnic groups which they claim will give a distorted view of the number of ethnic people in the country.
Reached for comment Saw Myint Than, deputy leader of the NBF explained his concerns about the census by illustrating the example of the Shan “Within Shan there are lots of sub ethnic groups, but if those sub-ethnic groups are included, the original Shan will disappear” he said.
Saw Than Myint added that the problem comes from the fact that the census uses the official ethnic categories designed during the days of Ne Win’s Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) when respective ethnic groups were broken down into sub groups often based on geographical location. Saw Than Myint and his ethnic colleagues take issue with the official list of 135 ethnic groups which the census will follow because many of these groups are in fact recorded twice on the list.
Saw Than Myint complained that the census committee prepared the census “without negotiating with respective ethnic groups. They are applying what was done during the BSPP. Time is running out now to fix that matter,” said Saw Than Myint.
The NBF conference which took place February 1st and 2nd also involved the Federal Union Party (FUP). Reached for comment Nai Chan Htoy Secretary (1) of the FUP reiterated his concerns about the census.
“It is important for Mon people to know [ethnic] code number 601, although there is only Mon ethnic nationality. If they [Mon people] write down 501, the name of their ethnic nationality name would be Burman,” he said.
Other concerns raised in the 7-point statements included
-A call for ethnic leaders to be included in the national election commission officially known as the union Union Election Commission.
-Allow for the democratic election of state and region Chief Ministers (currently they are all appointed by the President).
-Fix appendix list 1,2,3 and 5 from 2008 constitution in order to form true federal union
-Reduce the number appointed military representatives holding seats in the Hluttaw (parliament)
Change the rule allowing temporary card (white card) holders to form parties and vote because this causes problems with the nation’s sovereignty
– Allow ethnic languages to be taught during school hours and include ethnic languages in the school curriculum
– Negotiate with respective ethnic groups about the census in order to avoid causing the disintegration of unity among ethnic groups
