CRC/C/MMR/CO/3-4 Rakhine State, with a view to regularization; and the plan to conduct a nationwide population census in 2014. However, the Committee is concerned that a large number of children, including Rohingya children, remains unregistered as a result of insufficient awareness-raising on the importance of birth registration; a non-user-friendly system; a lengthy process to obtain birth certificates at the township level; unofficial fees associated with the birth registration system; the existence of the local order restricting marriages for Rohingya people; and the practice aimed at reducing the number of their children. 44. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Strengthen its efforts to ensure effective registration of all children born in the State party, regardless of their origin and without any discrimination; (b) Implement special measures for improving the birth registration system, greater access to registry services and sensitization and training for registry officials, with a view to ensuring that all children, including children born in remote areas, and displaced and stateless children, especially Rohingya children, are duly registered at birth and provided with birth certificates and identity cards; (c) Develop a plan to provide birth registration to all children up to 18 years of age who have not yet been registered; (d) Remove practical restrictions to ensure that all children are registered at birth without discrimination; and (e) Abolish the local order restricting marriages for Rohingya people and cease practices which restrict the number of children of Rohingya people. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion 45. The Committee is concerned that the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, although provided by the Child Law, is not respected or protected in practice. The Committee is further concerned about reports that some children are placed in Buddhist monasteries and converted to Buddhism without their parents’ knowledge or consent and that the Government seeks to induce members of the Naga ethnic group, including children, in Sagaing Division to convert to Buddhism. 46. In the light of article 14 of the Convention, the Committee urges the State party to ensure full respect for the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion for all children. The Committee recommends that the State party cease placing children in Buddhist monasteries and converting them to Buddhism without their parents’ knowledge or consent, and inducing members of the Naga ethnic group, including children, to convert to Buddhism. Freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly 47. While welcoming the release of political prisoners, the Committee is concerned about reports that children were kept political prisoners. The Committee is further concerned that the rights to freedom of expression and association, which also affect children, are severely limited in practice and that little space has been created for children to assemble or form associations outside the framework of Government-controlled NGOs. 48. The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Ensure that no child is made a political prisoner; (b) Ensure the full implementation of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association and peaceful assembly, in accordance with articles 13, 15 and 17 of the Convention; and 9