Military-run Myanmar to hold a census next month to prepare for election slated for 2025

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar will hold a national census next month to compile voter lists for a general election and to analyze population and socioeconomic trends, the head of the military government said.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing’s announcement on Sunday comes as Myanmar is roiled by a civil war in which the army has been forced onto the defensive against pro-democracy militants as well as ethnic militias seeking autonomy in much of the country.

A group that leads the pro-democracy struggle, the National Unity Government, expressed skepticism that the military government intends to hold an election any time soon and advised people to use “caution” in complying with any census questions.

Min Aung Hlaing said the “ultimate mission” of the ruling State Administrative Council is to hold a “free and fair multiparty democratic election” and that the census would be used to build voter lists, but did not specify a date for polling. He previously has pledged to hold an election in 2025.

He also said the data would be used for present and future development projects.

In the text of his televised speech published Monday in the state-run newspaper The Mirror, Min Aung Hlaing said the census — which is taken every 10 years — will be carried out all over the country from Oct. 1 to Oct. 15, and that people need to answer all its questions without anxiety or doubt.

The ruling military has declared that elections are its goal since seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. It originally announced elections would be held in August 2023, but has repeatedly pushed back the date.

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