CHIANG MAI, 16 May 2012 (IRIN) - "A recent decision to undertake a national census could prove key to empowering Myanmar?s more than 100 ethnic groups, provided it is inclusive and conducted to international standards. ?Potentially, the census would have a very positive affect on the ethnic areas and could serve to support claims for ethnic rights in education, language and culture that in some areas is repressed by the state and military,? David Scott Mathieson, a senior researcher in the Asia division of Human Rights Watch (HRW), told IRIN. The government lists 135 ethnic groups, comprising more than a third of Burma?s 55 million inhabitants, which are grouped into eight national races: Burman, Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Mon, Rakhine and Shan. The United Nations agreed on 30 April 2012 to assist the Burmese government in conducting its first census in 31 years. The project will start in April 2014, ahead of the next general election in 2015..."