Those who fled the war said that they will not return to their homes until they are given security no matter how much pressure is put on them.
According to local residents, there are nearly 70,000 refugees in refugee camps in Rakhine State. In March 2019, there were many people who fled and sought refuge due to the intense fighting between the Rakhine Army and the Military Council Army, and there are still many who have not been able to return home. Villagers who escaped from war from Maung Tha Kone, Ywa Haung Taw Ywa, Pauk TawPyin, Wai Thali villages are staying in Myauk U City at the Eighty Thousand’s Pagoda compound’s War Refugee Camp. Also some are from Yathe Taung township.
The Ministers of the Military Council, Daw Thet Thet Khaing, U Ko Ko Hlaing, U Myint Kyaing, Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung, and U Htein Lin who is the Chairman of the Rakhine State Military Council, visited the Rakhine State War Refugee Camps and some IDP refugee camps from February 8th to 10th. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Military Council has said that those who are in refugee camps should return home before the rains arrive.
A political analysis from Sin Cha Quarter, Myauk U City said that what they are doing is just only for show and a meaningless act. All most all refugees said, any pressure by anyone to go back home, I will come to tell them I won’t care anymore, it is best to stay in a safe place, we all wants to go home but without security no one wants to go home. They said the military council told us to go back to our home and pressured us to go home before the next rainy season.
If they return home, they will be given 500,000 Kyats each as a grant money, as well as food quotas for 3 months to attract them by the military council. Officials from the military council said that if there is a house that was damaged by the fire, they will repair it. A resident of the refugee camp said that the reason why they did not want to return home because if,
” I take these things and go back but when the fighting started again what can I do with the five hundred thousand kyat because we cannot spend it. Now it is seemed like stable, but I don’t know when it will break again. I can’t trust anywhere. When the living condition is secure and safe, I won’t take a single penny and go home,” said a villager who arrived at the monastery refugee camp in the Eighty Thousand Pagoda’s compound in Myauk U City, to Era’s Eye. A villager from Maw Thar Gone village, who arrived at war refugee camp, told about some of the incidents he encountered during the fighting.
” The soldiers from military council came out with load of guns and challenge us, “Who dares come out ! only need just a bullet you all will be dead. The bastards are so unruly and they were shooting randomly any direction in the village. As for us, we have to hide for our safety. There is nothing more painful than scolding very rude words without respect by the soldiers. I will never forget these scolding in my entire life. I’m afraid to say it and also, I am disgusted,” he said. The military council’s cabinet members did not listen to the voices of the residents’ difficulties, and the residents did not have the right to respond what they said. On the other hand, as the election to be held by the military council is approaching, they are saying that it is possible to do this deliberately to let the international community know. ” The main thing is responsibility for the needs and security of refugees. Because the fighting started from the side of the military council first,” a former administrator who has been in and out of refugee camps told Era’s Eye.
Era’s Eye | Photo – APK – Seeing a refugee camp in Rakhine state.
