Report Documents Decades of Citizenship Deprivation, Political Exclusion of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims

Report Documents Decades of Citizenship Deprivation, Political Exclusion of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims
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The Arakan News Agency (ANA) has documented the legal and political developments that led to large numbers of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar losing their citizenship and civil and political rights, tracing the process from the country’s independence in 1948 to their exclusion from the 2015 general elections.

According to the agency, Rohingya candidates participated in elections after independence, with four winning parliamentary seats in 1990. In 2010, three Rohingya representatives were elected to parliament and two to the Rakhine State government. However, Myanmar’s 1982 Citizenship Law marked a major turning point, establishing three categories of citizenship without recognizing the Rohingya among the officially recognized national ethnic groups, leaving many effectively stateless.

The report states that temporary “white cards” later allowed some Rohingya to vote in the 2010 elections, despite not constituting proof of citizenship. Their cancellation in 2015 deprived most Rohingya of voting rights and prevented some candidates from contesting elections. Subsequent National Verification Cards also failed to guarantee citizenship and drew objections over the classification of Rohingya as “Bengali” rather than recognition of their ethnic identity.

The consequences of statelessness extend beyond political exclusion, with restrictions affecting freedom of movement, education, employment, access to essential services, birth registration and civil documentation. The report highlights the long-term legal and political marginalization of the Rohingya and the need to address the roots of their citizenship crisis and protect their civil and political rights.