In May 2013 , authorities in Myanmar 's Rakhine state issued a directive placing a two-child limit on Rohingya couples in two predominately Muslim townships in the region -- in blatant disregard of the recommendations of a commission set up to investigate the recent violence between Muslims and Buddhists in western Myanmar . As political reforms slowly took hold in Myanmar following years under the rule of the military junta , longstanding tensions exploded into sectarian violence in Rakhine in 2012 , instigated by Rakhine Buddhists against Rohingya Muslims . Hostility toward the Rohingya has deep roots , fueled by prejudicial and competing notions of the role of race and religion in Myanmar 's national identity . Successive regimes and Myanmar society at large perceive the Rohingya as a product of recent migration and Islamic expansion from overpopulated Bangladesh . Antagonism towards Islam has lately spiraled into anti-Muslim strife in other parts of the country . During military rule , the Rohingya were subject to a gradual process of marginalization and exclusion through discriminatory policies and restrictions , particularly in Northern Rakhine State . Denial of citizenship has legitimized arbitrary treatment against them and exacerbated hatred . The two-child policy emerged from this context and from local orders issued by the NaSaKa and other local authorities since the early 1990s . The NaSaKa , established as a border security force in December 1992 , was tasked , among other things , with controlling Rohingya population growth . Restrictions on movement and regular population checks were imposed to prevent imaginary infiltrations from Bangladesh , while regulating marriages and family size aimed at curbing birth rate from within . Q & A : What 's behind violence ? In January 1994 , the NaSaKa introduced a local order requiring official permission to marry , contradicting customary marriage practice . This order later included penalties for non-compliance . In practice , marriage authorizations can take up to several years to obtain and are only granted against the payment of bribes . Infringement such as cohabitation or sexual contact out of wedlock can result in up to 10 years ' imprisonment . Currently , 535 Rohingya men are serving sentences for unauthorized marriages in Buthidaung Jail , according to research by the Arakan Project . To avoid prosecution , many young women resort to induced and illegal abortion . Local orders limiting the number of children for newly married couples were first issued by township administrations in Maungdaw and Buthidaung in April 2005 . They imposed stringent conditions for applying for marriage permission and added that `` Those permitted to marry according to this Order should control the birth rate and limit the number of children for livelihood sufficiency . '' The number of children was not specified . However , the limitation was enforced when newly-married couples were asked to sign a declaration . Initially , the pledge was no more than three children , reduced to two children in 2007 . Consequently , Rohingya women giving birth to a third child are unable to register the newborn and could be prosecuted under Section 188 of the Penal Code for disobeying orders from a civil servant , which carries a prison sentence of up to 6 months . Most often , they become victims of never-ending extortion by local authorities . The Rakhine Investigation Commission estimated that 60,000 Rohingya children are currently unregistered , born out of unauthorized as well as authorized marriages . Some parents are too poor to cover travel expenses and bribes for birth registration , or experience administrative hurdles . An absent father precludes the mother from registering her baby , or the newborn is above the permissible number of births . Unregistered children are not recorded in the family list as they do not exist administratively . They will not be issued with a temporary ID card and will thus be unable to attend school , to apply for travel permits or ultimately to marry . The Commission report cites high birth rates among Rohingya as a key factor of insecurity among Rakhine . It recommends family planning education to mitigate these concerns but stresses that authorities should refrain from implementing forcible birth control measures . Lack of awareness but also poor access to family planning is prevalent , particularly in rural areas where reproductive health services are often unavailable . Elsewhere , a growing number of Rohingya families have actually adopted birth spacing methods . This Rakhine State Government directive also violates Myanmar 's international obligations under the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child . In a speech on May 6 , President Thein Sein pledged that his government would ensure the basic rights of Muslims in Rakhine State , enforce the rule of law and `` provide genuine and decisive leadership in resolving the conflict . '' Leading pro-democracy activist and lawmaker Aung San Suu Kyi also condemned the two-child restriction on Rohingya couples as `` discrimination not in line with human rights . '' Following international outrage , Ye Htut , the President 's spokesperson , timidly responded that the government is re-examining this order . Thein Sein 's words must urgently be translated into action and he should immediately repeal the two-child policy and other discriminatory orders against the Rohingya . If left unchallenged , more directives will be issued that could trigger renewed violence . Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion .
Two - child limit placed on Rohingya couples in the predominately Muslim townships . Comes amid ongoing sectarian violence instigated by Rakhine Buddhists against Rohingya Muslims . Antagonism towards Islam has lately spiraled into anti - Muslim violence in other parts of Myanmar . Aung San U Kyi : two - child restriction is ` ` discrimination not in line with human rights ''