Arakan News Agency
Mass demonstrations took place in the city of Maungdaw and Akyab (Sittwe) in Arakan State of Myanmar to protest at the government ‘s orientation to force Rohingya people upon receiving temporary identity cards known as NVC.
Arakan News Agency correspondent reported that the demonstration led by Rakhine monks those chanted slogans denouncing and rejecting the government ‘s decision of distributing temporary identity cards (NVC) which many members of Rohingya minority refused to accept it because it will declare them under naturalized citizens rather than an authentic indigenous race of Myanmar.
The demonstrators demanded to hold accountable those who violate the law of 1982, by granting these cards to the Muslims.
According to a local source that a government official assured the protesters that these temporary cards did not show any sort of favoritism towards Rohingya minority, but came accordance with the law, by higher authorities in the state and the issuance of the approval of the Head of State Chancellor Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi.
The government has imposed arbitrary measures against Rohingya to make them accept temporary identity cards (NVC) which Rohingya reject it because they consider it will take away their right to the original or indigenous citizenship and drop to the category of outsiders, and paves the way for the government to expel them from the country, in which they have lived for centuries, and label them illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh.
It should also be noted that a law passed in 1982, which was to eradicate the citizenship of this minority living in Arakan State.
