The Union Health Minister, Dr Myint Htwe, said earlier this month that he would work for population control in Buthidaung and Maungdaw, the two Muslim majority towns in Rakhine State. He said the population control work would be done in accordance with the rules prescribed in the “Law on population control and health care”. Dr Myint Htwe was quoted as saying by RiA news that the Ministry of Health and Sports will work according to the demographic data to be collected by the State Government. He said the matter would be taken up by the ministry as a special task. There are 0.85 million population in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships combined. Out of which more than 0.1 million are Rakhine with their population growth rate stands at 0.6 per cent. The population growth of Muslims is 3.5 per cent. Reference: RiA News 22 September, 2016