A/HRC/39/CRP.2 invited, were invited to and attended the third session of the Conference. This has been identified as a positive development. 105 2. Place of Buddhism in society 87. According to the 2014 census, 87.9 per cent of the population of Myanmar is Buddhist, 6.2 per cent Christian and 4.3 per cent Muslim. 106 While the Bamar are predominantly Buddhist, many other ethnic groups contain large numbers of non-Buddhists. The 2008 Constitution recognizes the “special position” of Buddhism in Myanmar, while acknowledging other religions.107 88. Buddhism and the Buddhist monkhood have and retain a central place in Myanmar society and are a driving force within the politics of Myanmar. The monkhood has acted as a counterpoint where the State is perceived to act against the interests of its people. This is exemplified in the role of the Sangha108 in opposing colonial rule and, more recently, military rule. 89. Since reforms began in 2011, a vocal component of the monkhood has perceived threats to Buddhist culture and responded through increased nationalist and anti-Muslim rhetoric. Myanmar has witnessed episodes of violence between Buddhists and Muslims across the country, although mainly in Rakhine State. The 969 Movement, led by vocal Buddhist monks, was especially forthright in establishing a narrative in which Muslims sought to “take over” Myanmar through the marriage and conversion of Buddhist women. Perceptions around illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the dominance of local capital by Muslims have also been identified as concerns, notwithstanding that the Muslim population in Myanmar as whole is estimated only at around 4 per cent, and has not drastically increased in recent decades.109 90. In 2013, the Sangha prohibited the 969 Movement based on its unauthorised use of Buddhist symbolism. While the authority of the 969 group subsequently waned, its ideology was carried forward, notably through a successor group, the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion (known also as “MaBaTha”), established in June 2013 and rising to prominence in January 2014. One of its most prominent and radical leaders is controversial monk Ashin Wirathu. 91. While international attention focused on the group’s anti-Muslim rhetoric, MaBaTha developed widespread grassroots support for its activities, promotion of cultural values and the provision of essential services, including social care, disaster relief, education, legal aid 105 106 107 108 109 26 L. Weng, “All Members of Northern Alliance Invited to Attend Panglong Peace Conference” (The Irrawaddy, 4 July 2018). Previously, only those groups with ceasefire agreements in place had been invited to participate. According to the 2014 Population and Housing Census, the first census undertaken in Myanmar in three decades, the total population of Myanmar is approximately 51.5 million. The census was controversial as it only allowed participants to identify as belonging to one of 135 officially recognised ethnic groups (under eight major ethnic races: Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Bamar, Mon, Rakhine and Shan) or as “other”. It did not include “Rohingya” and participants were not allowed to self-identify as such. This led to a significant part of the population in Rakhine State not participating in the count. Widespread fears that the release of data on the ethnic and religious composition of the population would lead to violence, initially led the Government to release the outcome of the census without data on ethnicity and religion. See International Crisis Group, Update Briefing: Counting the Costs: Myanmar’s Problematic Census (2014). Constitution of Myanmar, s. 361-362. Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee (MaHaNa) is the Government-appointed body that regulates the Myanmar Buddhist clergy. In 2016, the Government released the census data related to religion. It showed that Buddhism remained the main religion in the country, with 87.9 per cent of the participants identifying as Buddhist in 2014, compared to 89.4 per cent in 1983. 2.3 per cent of the enumerated population identified as Muslim, a drop from 3.9 per cent in 1983. However, the census report noted that, assuming that the entirety of the more than 1 million estimated non-enumerated residents of Rakhine State were Muslim, the percentage of Muslims would increase to 4.3 per cent. The number of Christians rose slightly, from 4.9 per cent in 1983 to 6.2 per cent in 2014.