By Black Panda / MPA

Political analysts have stated that the national census scheduled to be conducted by the SAC on 1 October  will lack accuracy.

They explained that the current census will be meaningless due to the deaths, imprisonments, and displacements caused by the ongoing resistance, with many fleeing to liberated areas or foreign countries following the military coup. U Tint Lwin, who served as the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee in the Yangon Regional Parliament under the NLD government, shared this view.

“Some of those who opposed the military dictatorship have died, some are in prison, some have gone to liberated areas, and others have fled abroad. Many are in hiding because they cannot stay in their homes. These people are no longer present, yet the census will only count those who remain. What is the point of such a census? The majority of the population opposes the coup, while only a minority supports it. When the majority cannot stay at home, conducting a census is meaningless,” said U Tint Lwin.

Additionally, U Tint Lwin analyzed that the purpose of the SAC’s census is not genuine, but rather aimed at reinforcing their hold on power and targeting the resistance.

“Conducting a census is a typical task for any government. It is not just related to elections, but also for understanding the government’s plans and the socio-economic conditions of the country. However, the SAC’s census has no such intentions. This is evident in the questions they plan to ask,” he explained.

U Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, also commented that due to the ongoing conflicts and flooding in Myanmar, the data collected from the census starting on 1 October will not be reliable.

“There are currently over 80 towns affected by floods, with deaths reported. There is no need to ask whether the census will be accurate—it will not. That’s what I want to say,” U Than Soe Naing stated.

From 1 to 15 October, the census will cover around 110,000 census blocks, with approximately 420,000 enumerators. The questionnaire will contain 68 questions for households and 18 for institutions, as announced by SAC-controlled media.

In addition, writer Wehmuu Thwin commented that the SAC’s census is a strategic move aimed at benefiting the military regime (SAC) following the coup.

“The census is a way for SAC Army to avoid accountability for the destruction they caused across various sectors due to the coup, including the collapse of the economy. It’s a way for them to find an escape route,” he said to MPA.

To ensure the census can proceed, the SAC has provided one-month training to ward administrators and teachers. There have also been threats of imprisonment and fines for those who refuse to attend the training.

The first nationwide census in Myanmar was conducted by the British colonial government in 1872, and there have been a total of 11 censuses up until 2014.

Of these, the census conducted under U Thein Sein’s government in 2014 is considered the most accurate, according to available data.

The 2014 census recorded that Myanmar had a population of over 51 million people.