During a meeting in Copenhagen on Jun 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 changes to the 1982 law, were not feasible in the current political environment. One attendee mentioned that Win Myat Aye emphasized that citizenship reform was not an option. The sources requested anonymity as Myanmar had requested that the discussions remain confidential. Win Myat Aye and government spokesperson Zaw Htay did not respond to requests for comment. The 1982 law, which limits citizenship to individuals from the "national races," was a crucial recommendation of the Annan commission. Myanmar, a country with a Buddhist majority, does not consider the Rohingya people to be an indigenous ethnic group, instead referring to them as "Bengalis", a term that the Rohingya reject as it suggests they are foreigners from Bangladesh, despite their long history in Myanmar. The Annan commission was established by Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2016 to address deep-rooted ethnic and religious divisions in Rakhine. Following the release of the commission's report in August 2017, Rohingya insurgents carried out attacks on security forces, leading to a military crackdown that the UN has described as a clear instance of ethnic cleansing. Win Myat Aye, who is overseeing reconstruction plans in conflict-affected Rakhine state, recently admitted that repatriating the approximately 700,000 Rohingya currently living in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh is uncertain. Many Rohingya refugee leaders have stated that they will not return unless they are guaranteed citizenship. However, Thaung Tun, Myanmar's National Security Adviser, stated that authorities were diligently carrying out the recommendations of the Annan commission to the best of their ability and as quickly as possible. He mentioned that more than 80 recommendations had been completed in less than 10 months, with ongoing efforts to address those that have not yet been implemented. The spokesman for Annan directed inquiries to the Myanmar government. Refugees have shared accounts of violence, including killings, arson, theft, and sexual assault, committed by the Myanmar security forces and Buddhist groups in Rakhine. Myanmar has denied allegations of ethnic cleansing and dismissed most reports of atrocities. The two countries signed a deal in January to send back the refugees in two years, but disagreements have delayed the process. Many Rohingya refugees refuse to return unless the 1982 law is changed. Those who identified as Rohingya were not included in the 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, which does not grant full citizenship. However, a large number of Rohingya people are unwilling to accept the document, as they believe it wrongly categorizes long-time residents as new immigrants and restricts their freedom of movement. The military, who shares power with Suu Kyi, firmly denies Rohingya requests for citizenship. In a speech given in March, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing stated that Rohingya do not share any characteristics or culture with the ethnic groups of Myanmar, and blamed the conflict on Rohingya demands for citizenship. During the Copenhagen meeting, diplomats were on the verge of taking a break for lunch when Win Myat Aye mentioned that Myanmar had only implemented 80 out of the 88 recommendations made by the commission, citing political and practical challenges with the remaining eight. One attendee stated that Annan responded by asking for clarification on which recommendations were causing difficulties. Let's revisit this topic once we come back from the break," Win Myat Aye then outlined the suggestions he mentioned Myanmar was having difficulty putting into practice. These suggestions included promises to establish a separate entity to examine grievances regarding citizenship verification, empower leaders within communities and civil society, and set up a system for receiving feedback on government effectiveness. "In diplomatic language, when you mention that something is challenging, it typically signifies a refusal," the second source explained. "That is how I interpreted this statement."