27/09/2015

ItIsNotThatWhiteCardHoldersAutomaticallyBecomeCitizens
InsertEmailtoSubscribeNewsletter

BURMESE| BLOG| DONATE

News

Business

Opinion

Features

Interview

Travel

Lifestyle

Culture

Sports

Magazine

Jobs

More

Search...

INTERVIEW

ItIsNotThatWhiteCardHoldersAutomaticallyBecome
Citizens
ByNYEINNYEIN&KYAWKHA/THEIRRAWADDY|

Multimedia

MORE ARTICLES IN THIS SECTION

Tuesday,February10,2015|

AviationExpert:EveryChallengeisan
Opportunity

DrPornthip:VictimsorSuspectsHavethe
RighttoAskForaSecondOpinion
AseanEnvoy:BurmawasMisunderstood
TunLwin:EachYearThereisDroughtinthe
DryZone,FloodingintheDelta
TourismPro:WhatWeNeedIsStability
BertilLintner:TheyDontJustWanta
Ceasefire,TheyWanttoTalkAbouttheFuture
oftheCountry
LarryDiamond:DemocracyisNotGoingtobe
AchievedFullyintheNovemberElections
BurmasDeathHighway:WeHavetoTake
PreventiveMeasures

MinisterofImmigrationandPopulationKhinYiinChiangMai,Thailand,onFeb.5,2015.(Photo:NyeinNyein/The
Irrawaddy)

BurmasUnionParliamentrecentlypassedacontroversiallawgranting
temporaryidentitycardholderstherighttovoteinareferendumonconstitutional
amendmentslaterthisyear.Themovehaspromptedcriticismandprotests,given
thattheseindividuals,alsoknownaswhitecardholders,donotholdBurmese
citizenship.Thenumberofwhitecardholdersisunknown,withestimatesranging
from700,000to1.5million,mostofwhomareRohingyaMuslims.
MinisterofImmigrationandPopulationKhinYitalkedabouttheissuewithThe
IrrawaddyinChiangMai,Thailand,lastweek,andalsoaddressedquestionson
remainingdifficultiesforexileddissidentsseekingtoreenterBurmaandnational
censusdataduetobereleasedlaterthisyear.
Question:WithParliamentallowingwhitecardholderstovoteintheconstitutionalreferendum,
doesthatmeantheyhavebeengiventherightsofcitizenship?
Answer:Itisnotexactlyaccuratetosaythattheyhavebecomecitizens,becausetheTemporary
IdentityCertificates[whitecards]areprovidedbytheImmigrationMinistryinaccordancewiththe
incumbentlaw.Peoplefinditeasytocallthemwhitecardholdersasitisonawhitepieceofpaper.
[BurmesecitizensareissuedpinknationalIDcards].Weprovidedthemwiththiscardbecausethey
arenotyetverifiedcitizensofthecountry.Theymustapplyforcitizenshipandwescrutinizethemin
accordancewithourrulesandthenwedecidewhethertheycanbecitizensornot.Itisnotthatwhite
cardholdersautomaticallybecomecitizens.
Q:Istherighttovoteinaccordancewiththe1982CitizenshipLaw?
A:Ourministryisnotinvolvedintheissueoftherighttovoteornot.Parliamentdecidedonthis.We
providethesecardstopeopleundergoingthe[citizenship]scrutinizingprocess.Therearemanywhite

http://www.irrawaddy.org/interview/whitecardholdersautomaticallybecomecitizens.html

1/4

27/09/2015

ItIsNotThatWhiteCardHoldersAutomaticallyBecomeCitizens

cardholdersincludingBengali,Indians,Pakistanis,Gurkhaacrossthecountry.Theyarebetween
700,000and800,000onourlists.Wecarefullygavethemthesecardsastheystillneedtogo
throughthenationalverificationprocess.
Q:Whitecardholdersfacetravelrestrictions,forinstanceinArakanState.IsthisImmigration
Ministrypolicy?
A:Thetravelissuedependssolelyonlocalauthorities.Theauthoritiesrestrictthetravel,for
instance,inArakanState.Theycanaskforpermissiontotravelitisnotthattheyarenotallowedto.
Therearemanypeopletravellinginthiswayformedicaltreatmentorschooling.
Q:Whatistheministrydoingintermsofnationalverificationforwhitecardholders?
A:Wedothenationalverificationtwiceayear,startingwithtownshiplevelverificationsandending
withnationallevelverification.Iactaschairmanofthecommittee,inwhichthemembersare
officialsfromtheministriesofForeignAffairs,HomeAffairsandDefense.We,stepbystep,
scrutinizetheirapplicationsandgrantcitizenshipinaccordancewiththe1982CitizenshipLaw.
Q:SomepeoplecomplainthattheirNationalRegistrationCardswereseizedandreplacedwith
whitecards.Whatareyoudoingtoresolvethisissue?
A:Thishasnothappenedduringour[administrative]term.Itwasin1990whentheirNRCswere
seized,astherewerereportsofpeopleobtainingfakecards.Wehavenowallowedthemtoreapply
forcitizenship.Whentheyapply,weissuethemtheappropriatedocuments[identifyingthemas]
associatecitizen,naturalizedcitizenorwhitecards.
Q:WhatisyourviewoncriticismsthatParliamenttookupthewhitecardissuejustasstudent
protestsagainsttheNationalEducationLawhavebeguntoheatup?
A:IhavereadsuchcriticismonsocialmediaandontheInternet.Idontthinkitisrelated.Thedebate
onwhitecardshaslongexistedinParliamentbeforethestudentsprotest.
Q:TherearestillreportsofobstaclesanddifficultiesforonceexiledBurmesedissidentswhonow
holdforeignpassportsbutwanttocomebacktoBurma.Whyisthat?
A:OurPresidentUTheinSeinhasinvitedallBurmabornforeignpassportholderstoreturntothe
countryinthespiritofnationalreconciliation.Accordingtoourlaws,formerBurmese[whono
longerholdcitizenship]couldnotbecitizensofMyanmaragainastheyhaveobtainedthecitizenship
ofaforeigncountry.Wedonotallowdualcitizenship.
ButoneholehereisthatthepresidentcanaccepttheminaccordancewithSection8(b)ofthe1982
CitizenshipLaw,inwhichtheycanbecomeacitizenofBurmaifitistheinterestofthecountry.[The
provisionKhinYireferstoisinfactSection8(a)].Therearealsothreeministriesinvolved:the
ministriesofHomeAffairs,ForeignAffairsandus.Theministrieshavetodoscrutinizingonthe
issuanceofcertificateofidentityandcheckingforacriminalbackground.Iftheydonothavecriminal
casesandarenotonablacklist,itisnoproblemforthemintermsofgettingavisaorreapplyingfor
citizenship.Wehaveacceptedabout100outof185applicationsreapplyingforcitizenship.Some
dissidentsthinkthataftertheysubmitthecitizenshipapplication,itisdoneandtheynevercontactus
again.Butitisnotandittakestime.
Q:TheprovisionalresultsofthecensuswerereleasedinAugust,butwhataboutthefullresults,
includingdataonethnicpopulationsinBurma?Willtheofficiallistof135ethnicitiesremainorwill
itbeamended?Forexample,ethnicZomiinChinStatearenotlistedamongthe135recognized
groups.
A:Compilingoftheresultsisnotfinishedyet.Wearestillintheprocessofdataanalysis.Thedraft
listwillcomeoutattheendofMay.Buttheethnicitylistwillnotbefinalized.Wedontknowyet.We
haverecordedwhatevertheysaidregardingethnicity.IftheysaidtheyareZomi,itwasrecordedas
such.Andafterwehavethelistoftheethnicities,itwillbebroughtbeforeethnicrepresentativesof
eachgroupfordiscussion.Wewillnotpublicizetheresultsuntilthelistisconsultedwiththeethnic
leaders,aswedonotwantmisunderstandings.
Q:WhenyoumetDr.CynthiaMaungin2013,youtalkedabouttheissuanceofbirthcertificatesfor
thechildrenofBurmesemigrantworkersbornontheThailandBurmaborder.Whatisthelateston
thiseffort?
A:Honestly,itremainsanobligation.Wehavebeenbusywiththenationalcensusandthepeace
process,sowehavenotstartedyetontheissuesdiscussedwithSayamaCynthia.Ourministrycannot

http://www.irrawaddy.org/interview/whitecardholdersautomaticallybecomecitizens.html

2/4

27/09/2015

ItIsNotThatWhiteCardHoldersAutomaticallyBecomeCitizens

doitalonethehealthministryandotherrelatedministriesmustcooperate.Wehavenotgotthe
solutionoradetailedpolicyyet,butwewilldoitforsure.
Q:Doesthatmeanitwillbeaddressonlyafterthesuccessfulcompletionofthepeaceprocess?
A:No,itdoesnot.Thisisabouttheacceptanceofourethnicsascitizens.Wehavenotbeenableto
focusyetonthisaswehavebeenconcentratingonsolvingotherissues,suchastheArakanStateissue
andthepeacetalks,whicharenotyetresolved.

RelatedPosts:

AQuietManof

SuuKyisDoctor

LetpadaungWill

UKOfficialTalks

MoreCompetition

ManyWords

GetsDownto

ProvideaGood

DevelopmentAid,

WillGettheWork

Business

FutureforAllofUs

MilitaryTiesin

DoneFaster

Burma

Irrawaddynews
1,559,249likes

Liked

Share

Youand555otherfriendslikethis

3ResponsestoItIsNotThatWhiteCardHoldersAutomatically
BecomeCitizens

Tuesday,February10,20157:38pm

Ifwearenotsurethattheyarecitizensofmyanmarwhycantheyvoteinhowourconstitutioncanbeamended.Itdoes
notmakesense.
Reply

soehlaing
Saturday,February14,20153:41pm

Whataboutthenationalregistrationcardsofthedeceasedbeingsoldtolots&lotsofMainlandCHINESEbyyour
Immigrationdepartment?
Reply

OoMaungGyi
Friday,March20,20159:17am

1982citizenshiplawisundemocratic,sogovernmentisimplementingitforthesakeofjusttoeliminateMuslims
populationthroughoutBurma(Myanmar).Thiscountryisracistbecausetheycannotcompetewithotherraceinthe
fieldofeducationandIQsotheybecomejealous
forotherraceespeciallyMuslimsduetoreligionandfaith.
Reply

LeaveaReply
Youremailaddresswillnotbepublished.Requiredfieldsaremarked*
Name*

Email*

http://www.irrawaddy.org/interview/whitecardholdersautomaticallybecomecitizens.html

3/4

27/09/2015

ItIsNotThatWhiteCardHoldersAutomaticallyBecomeCitizens

Website

Comment

PostComment

CodeofEthic

Privacy

Copyright

RSS

Facebook

Twitter

ContactUs

AboutUs

WorkforUs

MagazineSubscription

PhotoStore

Archives

Copyright(c)2015IrrawaddyPublishingGroup.AllRightsReserved

http://www.irrawaddy.org/interview/whitecardholdersautomaticallybecomecitizens.html

4/4