Shwe Maung, a Rohingya member of Myanmar's parliament barred from contesting upcoming elections on the basis that his parents were not Myanmar citizens at the time of his birth said on Monday he would appeal the decision and hoped to stand Reuters reported on 24 August.
The move to deny Shwe Maung, an MP from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), a chance to run despite being a serving member of government raises concerns about the disenfranchisement of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
Shwe Maung, who planned to run as an independent after not being nominated by the USDP, said that he was informed by state officials on Saturday that his application had been turned down.
According to Shwe Maung, both of his parents were citizens prior to his birth in 1965 and his father served as a member of the Myanmar Police Force.
Shwe Maung has represented the majority-Muslim Buthidaung constituency located in Northern Rakhine State near the country's border with Bangladesh since being elected as an MP in 2010.