Census takers guarded by police and soldiers took to the streets of Myanmar on Wednesday for a national survey that anti-junta groups have urged people to boycott. The ruling junta is pressing ahead with the census even though it has lost control of large areas of the Southeast Asian country to armed groups opposed to its rule.

Myanmar's embattled junta on Thursday invited armed groups opposed to its rule to stop fighting and start talks to bring peace, after three-and-a-half years of conflict."We invite ethnic armed groups,

YANGON: Census takers guarded by police and soldiers took to the streets of Myanmar on Wednesday for a national survey that anti-junta groups have urged people to boycott.

YANGON: Census takers guarded by police and soldiers took to the streets of Myanmar on Wednesday (Oct 2) for a national survey that anti-junta groups have urged people to boycott. The ruling junta is

Myanmar's military government conducts census for voter lists amid civil war, facing resistance from pro-democracy groups and armed militias.

Myanmar's military government began a nationwide census Tuesday, saying it will be used to compile voter lists for a general election promised for next year, even though much of the country is engulfed in civil war.