Over 600 refugees from three IDP camps in Kyauktaw forced to return home

Narinjara News, 23 March 2023

Over 600 IDPs are forced to return home after the shutdown of three IDP camps in Kyauktaw Township in Arakan State, the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) said.

These three IDP camps are Mahamuni, Shanywar and Theinkyaung IDP camps in Kyauktaw Township.

On 21 March, the officials held a meeting at the township administration office on the complete shutdown of three IDP camps and the repatriation of refugees by 31 March.

“Yesterday, a meeting was held at Kyauktaw Township Administration Office to shut down the IDP camps and to force the IDPs to return home. The officials told the IDPs from three IDP camps about it,” an IDP said.

A total of 426 of 443 households from Mahamuni IDP camp will return home. The remaining 17 households will move to Nyaungchaung IDP camp near the Mahamuni IDP camp.

Nine of 26 households from Theinkyaung IDP camp will return home. The remaining households continue to stay in Theinpyinkyaung IDP camp near the Theinkyaung IDP camp.

A total of 43 households from Shanywar IDP camp will return home.

Over 1,170 IDPs from ten IDP camps in Kyauktaw have registered to return home. However, only 644 IDPs can go home as the budget allotted this year is not sufficient,” said a member of the military council from Kyauktaw.

The military council told the IDPs that a household which wants to return home will be provided with MMK-600,000 and three-month rations.

“I worry about the renewed fighting and our livelihood. I am not ready to return home. However, I will return home. Authorities frequently ask the IDPs to go home,” an IDP from Mahamuni IDP camp.

In January and February, the military council’s union ministers visited the IDP camps in Arakan State and pressured them to return home.

Then, the military council closed some IDP camps in Myaebone, Minbya, MraukU and Ponnagyun Townships and forcibly repatriated them.

After the forced repatriation, the military council has not carried out the clearance of war remnants and landmines near the villages.

Junta soldiers remain stationed near the villages.

So the IDPs who returned home are facing livelihood difficulties as they cannot earn their living freely.

The Narinjara phoned U Hla Thein, Spokesperson of the Arakan State Administration Council several times to seek the comments about the situation of IDPs. But no reply is received.

Over 200,000 locals were displaced by the battles between the military council and the Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan State in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.