Police ban on collecting donations for new IDP

Narinjara News, 20 August 2022

The Sittwe police has prevented a charity group from collecting donations for the refugees fleeing their villages and even threatened them to take necessary action if it continues to collect money.

Mitta Youngchi Foundation collected donations from people in Sittwe, the capital city of Arakan State, for the newly arrived IDP to escape gun fighting between the Burmese forces and Arakan Army members in Rathedaung and Muang Daw townships.

The foundation president Ko Lin Lin said that the authority asked them to get the permission.

“We were asked to apply for the permission. Now, we have stopped the collection drive. If we do it again, they may punish us,” he added.

The police personnel even question me if the foundation’s car has the license and who bought the land of the office, etc.The foundation was collecting donations near Beluma bridge in Sittwe and soon they were summoned to Myoma police station.

"The government is not financially supporting the IDP refugees and it is now preventing others from collecting donations for the refugees. We cannot expect any kindness from the junta,” he asserted.

The police clarified that donations must be collected by the charitable organizations with permission only. But if any organisation applies for the permission, they will not be entertained.

On 13 August, three fierce fighting took place between the junta forces and AA members. Following it, thousands of residents from villages like Chiang Kha Lain, Don Baik, Aung Thukha, Aung Bala, etc left their places for safer places.