Myanmar Imposes Two Child Limit on Muslims

Yangon (Myanmar): Authorities in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state have imposed a two-child limit for Muslim Rohingya families, a policy that does not apply to Buddhists in the area, and comes amid accusations of ethnic cleansing in the aftermath of sectarian violence. Local officials said that the new measure would be applied to two Rakhine townships that border Bangladesh and have the highest Muslim populations in the state. The townships, Buthidaung and Maundaw, are about 95 percent Muslim. The unusual order makes Myanmar perhaps the only country in the world to impose such a restriction on a religious group. China has a one-child policy, but it is not based on religion, and exceptions apply to minority ethnic groups.