Unless digital IDs are identical to those issued to other ethnic groups or Burmese, and unless our ethnicity is not directly or indirectly identifiable from the ID card and database, we will continue to suffer discrimination.140 Rohingya living in areas of Myanmar outside Rakhine State, are also concerned. Even those with identity documents live with a precarious status. If identified through a birthplace in Rakhine, or a Muslim name, they risk coming under increased state surveillance and scrutiny. They often feel at risk of being “deported” to the closed areas of North Rakhine State. In the absence of effective protection measures, digitalisation could flag up factors that highlight Rohingyas’ and others’ geographic, religious and ethnic origins, thus increasing the insecurity of their status and leaving them exposed to further discrimination or persecution. but others who have lived for generations in Myanmar will find it even harder to get citizenship cards. Getting a citizenship card can be so hard for people of Indian, or Nepal origin, or for Rohingya and other minorities not recognised by the government. At the moment there are a lot of conversations happening amongst us in Yangon about the biometric system coming. Life is difficult without citizenship cards. They are saying it is going to get harder and harder for people like us.142 Currently the way our people survive is either by avoiding any activities where they need to encounter any government institutions (e.g. business or professional license, any legal applications, etc) or by simply hiding their links to Rakhine State, or Rohingya. A digitalszed version of ID system with features like geolocation filtering or similar capabilities will easily give authorities the ability to single Rohingya out and possibly deport back to Rakhine State. 141 Additionally, while Rohingyas and others currently may be able to access education, health, banking and other key services without a citizenship card using a range of identification documents, including outdated and unofficial IDs, one service-access identity card may reduce the informal coping and survival mechanisms available to them. One Rohingya based in Yangon, summed the situation up as follows: “ In Myanmar, in the offices, they are buried under a mountain of paper files, so they want a digital system. There are millions of people in Myanmar, especially in the ethnic minority areas, who don’t have citizenship cards and the government is trying to increase the number of ID documents. This is good for some people, Comment by Jaivet Ealom. On file with ISI (November 2020). Interviews conducted with two Rohingya researchers for ISI, September 2020 (names withheld). 142 Comment by Jaivet Ealom. On file with ISI (November 2020). 143 Interview with a Rohingya by phone from Yangon, Myanmar, for ISI, September 2020 (name withheld). 140 141 26