During a meeting in Copenhagen on June 8, Myanmar's Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye informed a group of diplomats, analysts, and members of a commission led by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan that eight of the commission's recommendations, including one calling for amendments to the 1982 law, were not feasible in the current political climate and could not be implemented immediately, according to individuals present. One attendee stated that Win Myat Aye emphasized that citizenship reform was not a viable option. The sources requested anonymity as Myanmar had asked for the meeting to be kept confidential. Both Win Myat Aye and government spokesperson Zaw Htay did not respond to requests for comment. The amendment of the 1982 law, which limits citizenship to members of the state-recognized "national races," was a significant recommendation of the Annan commission. The government of Myanmar, a primarily Buddhist country, does not acknowledge the Rohingya people as a native ethnic group, instead referring to them as "Bengalis", a term the Rohingya reject because it suggests they are outsiders from Bangladesh, despite their long-standing presence in Myanmar. The Annan commission, established by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2016, was tasked with finding lasting solutions to entrenched ethnic and religious divides in Rakhine state. Following the release of the commission's report in August 2017, Rohingya militants launched attacks on security forces, leading to a brutal military crackdown that the UN has condemned as a clear case of ethnic cleansing. Win Myat Aye, in charge of reconstruction efforts in conflict-affected Rakhine state, admitting uncertainties surrounding the repatriation of the approximately 700,000 Rohingya currently residing in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. Many Rohingya leaders have stated they will not return without assurances of citizenship. Myanmar's National Security Adviser Thaung Tun, who was present at the meeting in Denmark, stated to Reuters that authorities are working to implement the Annan commission's recommendations fully and promptly. He mentioned that over 80 recommendations have been implemented within less than 10 months, and those that have not yet been carried out are also under consideration. Annan's spokesperson directed inquiries to the Myanmar government. Refugees have recounted incidents of violence, including killings, arson, theft, and sexual assault, by Myanmar security forces and Buddhist groups in Rakhine. Myanmar has denied allegations of ethnic cleansing and has disregarded most reports of atrocities. They have signed a deal with Bangladesh to repatriate refugees within two years, but disagreements have delayed the process. Many Rohingya refugees refuse to return unless changes are made to the 1982 law. Those identifying as Rohingya were not included in Myanmar's 2014 census and had their identity documents confiscated, preventing them from voting in the 2015 election. Suu Kyi, who previously advocated for a review of the law, is now encouraging Rohingya to accept the National Verification Card as a form of residency instead of full citizenship. However, many Rohingya are hesitant to accept the document, as they believe it categorizes long-time residents as newcomers and restricts their freedom of movement. The military, who shares power with Suu Kyi, adamantly denies Rohingya demands for citizenship. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing stated in a speech in March that Rohingya lack common characteristics or culture with Myanmar's ethnic groups, and that the conflict arose due to Bengalis seeking citizenship. At the Copenhagen meeting, Myanmar officials mentioned they had implemented 80 of the 88 recommendations from the commission, citing political and practical disagreements with the remaining eight. Annan questioned which specific recommendations were causing difficulties. Win Myat Aye then outlined the recommendations that Myanmar was having trouble putting into action, such as setting up an independent body to address citizenship verification issues, empowering community leaders and civil society, and creating a system for providing feedback on government performance. Another source pointed out that when something is described as difficult in diplomatic language, it usually means it is being rejected.