2-9-2024 (YANGON) Myanmar’s military government has declared its intention to conduct a nationwide population and household census in October, a move seen as laying the groundwork for a contentious general election planned for next year. The announcement, made through state media on Monday, 2 September, comes amidst ongoing conflict and political turmoil across large swathes of the country.
According to state media reports, the census data will be collected between 1 October and 15 October. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, addressing a meeting on Sunday, emphasised the importance of this census in facilitating the upcoming election. “The census can be used in compilation of correct and accurate voter lists which is a basic need for successfully holding a free and fair multi-party democratic general election,” he stated in a televised speech.
However, the proposed election has already faced widespread criticism and scepticism from both domestic opposition groups and the international community. Many view it as a sham exercise designed to legitimise the military’s grip on power. The credibility of the election has been further undermined by the junta’s decision to disband dozens of political parties, including the immensely popular National League for Democracy (NLD), for failing to register.
The political landscape in Myanmar, a nation of approximately 55 million people, has been in a state of upheaval since February 2021. The military, citing alleged voter fraud, ousted the democratically elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD party. This action triggered widespread protests, which were met with brutal suppression, ultimately evolving into an armed resistance movement.
The military government’s control over the country has significantly waned since the coup. A May report by the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar revealed that the junta lacks effective control over 86% of the country’s territory, home to 67% of the population. This loss of authority has been compounded by the mass exodus of young people fleeing conscription earlier this year, further weakening the military’s forces.
Interestingly, the announcement of the census comes on the heels of a meeting between Min Aung Hlaing and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where China promised technological assistance for the census-taking process in support of an “all-inclusive election”.
The parallel National Unity Government (NUG), comprised of former lawmakers and junta opponents, has vehemently criticised the planned census and election. NUG spokesperson Kyaw Zaw stated, “The junta has the intention to carry out a sham election and using the excuse of a census, they are collecting information from people which they will use to terrorise them.” The NUG has called upon the international community and neighbouring countries to denounce both the election and the census process.
