"Myanmar is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the region, and ethnicity is a complex, contested and politically sensitive issue where ethnic groups have long believed that the Government manipulates ethnic categories for political purposes. Myanmar?s ethnic minorities make up an estimated 30-40% of the population, and ethnic states occupy some 57% of the total land area along most of the country?s international borders. The Constitution makes no reference to ethnic minorities. It instead uses the term ?national races”. However this term is not defined by the Constitution, and is generally interpreted by applying the 1982 Myanmar Citizenship Law, which defines the 135 national races in its 1983 Procedures. Under the Citizenship Law, nationals of Myanmar include the ?Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Bamar, Mon, Rakhine or Shan and ethnic groups as have settled in any of the territories included within the State as their permanent home from a period anterior to 1185 B.E., 1823 A.D.” Almost all Rohingya are denied citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law ? either because they do not meet its stringent and discriminatory citizenship requirements, or where they do, because they lack the documentary evidence required. People of Chinese, Indian or Nepali heritage are mostly denied full citizenship under this law because they do not automatical ly qualify under ?national races”...."