CNI News

7 Oct 2022

The Rakhine State Administration Council has asked internally displaced persons in Kyauktaw Township in Rakhine State to return home, promising travel allowances and food aids, according to IDPs in the township.

Officials from the township administration department sent for in-charges of IDP camps in Kyauktaw Township and told them that the government would pay MMK 100,000 travel allowances and food for one month for an IDP family who wanted to return home, an official from the Yahta Butar IDP camp told the CNI.

He said, “The township SAC has told us to return home. They said they would give MMK 100,000 travel allowances, 17 relief items and food for one month. If we refuse to return home, they said they would cut off all aid to us from NGOs and INGOs.”

 Rakhine IDPs.

There are 11 IDP camps in Kyauktaw Township supported by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and international non-governmental organizations.

However, the ministry has stopped delivering aid for six months and INGOs were not able to distribute aid for one month. Therefore, camp residents have to rely on rice donated by the Nippon Foundation three months ago, according to camp residents.

Since then, camp residents have to live on picking bamboo shoots and taking odd jobs like bricklaying.

As they have been displaced for nearly three years and their houses were burnt down, it is necessary for authorities to rebuild their houses and to clear landmines in their areas, IDP Ma Oo Moe Nwe told the CNI.

   The list of IDPs issued by the AA.

She said, “It is impossible for us to go back because armed clashes are still breaking out. Fierce fighting is taking place on our way back. Heavy weapons rounds are falling into villages. The most important is to clear landmines along the route. Secondly, villagers have lost their houses. They should clear landmines and build houses first because the whole village was destroyed. We need schools and business opportunities.”

Currently, fighting has resumed between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military in northern Rakhine State and Paletwa in Chin State, increasing the number of IDPs by 6,167 in the area, according to the AA.

Armed clashes between the AA and Myanmar military during the period between 2018 and November, 2020, and current resumption of battles between them have already displaced 82,419 people in 150 IDP camps, according to the AA.