Representatives from the Myanmar National Advisory Committee (NAC) met to discuss the recently released census provisional results as well as their role in the process of dissemination and local consultation on 30 September 2014, in Nay Pyi Taw, the nation's capital.
The National Advisory Committee which consists of forty representatives from various civil society, health, youth, religious and ethnic associations, including the United Nations and members of the international community in Myanmar was formed in November 2013 to assist the authorities with the implementation processes of the country's first census in over three decades.
U Myint Kyaing, Director General of the Ministry of Population and Chair of the National Advisory Committee gave an overview of the recent August release of the first provisional census results which showed that the preliminary population of Myanmar to be 51.4 million.
On the issue of the release of the ethnicity, industry and occupation, U Myint Kyaing called on the NAC to help identify key representatives from the regional level to come to Nay Pyi Taw and partake in a process of consultation on the categorization of ethnicities for the purpose of releasing census results.. "We need contributions from ethnic groups, experts, historians and parliamentarians. Only then came we come up with a final decision...The process needs to be shaped by the people. Please give us your ideas, so that these can inform the decisions of the Ministry, the Presidency and others... We need your help in changing the people's perception of the census and the 40 questions, and not just the one relating to ethnicity or religion, he said."
She highlighted proposed changes to the membership that had been made by a small sub-group of NAC tasked for the purpose. Its advice was to to increase the committee members from 40 to 51 in order to have more representatives from ethnic, religious and disability groups, as well as members of the media and the private sector.
During the meeting a representative from the Ministry of Health stated that the final census results would be "very useful in terms of measuring levels of maternal mortality" and that the data would be used to compare with previous DHS surveys. "Based on the census results, we will be able to target effectively the areas that need the most assistance."
The National Advisory Committee is part of the administrative structure of the census. The Committee brings together a diverse representation from government and civil society to guide the DoP in implementing a census that best responds to the needs of society.
