Zomi Census: More Than a Count—Identity, Values and the Right to Be Recognized
A census does more than count individuals. It determines whether a people’s identity, language and collective presence become visible in the official record. Drawing upon his firsthand involvement in Zomi census advocacy in Myanmar, the United States and Australia, Disciple Sian argues that the controversy surrounding Myanmar’s 2014 Census was not merely a strategic failure by Zomi leaders but a systemic failure by a state that did not transparently honor Zomi self-identification.