For the election planned to be held by the Military Council in August of this year, a household population census has been collected since January 9th in some local villages, including Muslim villages in Maungdaw township of Rakhine state.

“The census has already started here, including in the Muslim villages. They are taking the census according to the household lists, saying it is for voter registration,”  an Aung Bala villager said.

A village administrator in Maungdaw township also confirmed that the census was being conducted.

“ That’s true. On our side, officials from the General Administration Department and the Rural Administration Department have already started collecting the census”, he said.

In midtown Maungdaw, it was announced that the population census will start at 10:00 AM on January 9th, but the work has not started yet, a Maungdaw resident said.

Similarly, in Minbya, there are reports that the Military Council has instructed the General Administration Office to take census, but there has been no actual conduct.

“We are hearing news in the town that the Military Council’s instructions have already arrived, but we have not seen the census being taken in the villages. The local administrator has not told the villagers anything about it either,” said a Minbya resident.

On December 20th, 109 people were trained for a day at U Ottama hall in Sittwe to conduct the door-to-door census across Rakhine state.

U Hla Thein, Chief Legal Officer for Rakhine state wrote on his social media page on December 20th that 1290 groups with over 6000 members will be formed to collect the census in every township in Rakhine state and Paletwa township on January 9th.