About one hundred villagers stranded

19 Jul 2019

Cha Lu Aung | DMG

19 July, Sittwe

About 100 people from conflicted affected villages such as Nwa Yone Daung, Oo Yin Tha and San Go Daung villages have been stranded since new clashes between the Tatmadaw and the AA erupted a couple days ago, Arakan State MP U Tun Aung Thein told the DMG.

They are 8 people in Shit Shar Taung village, 5 in San Go Daung village, 2 in Nwa Yone Daung village and 85 in Oo Yin Tha village.

Currently, people from Oo Yin Tha village have arranged to leave their village, but those left in other villages are stranded and the safety risk is high, local residents said.

“People from Oo Yin Tha village decided to leave their village. So, I addressed the speaker of Parliament to tell the government to help villagers leave their villages,” U Tun Aung Thein said.

A clash broke out near Nwa Yone Daung village on 13 July and houses were torched. Villagers fled for safety but an old blind man and a disabled person were left in the village.

“Currently, two villagers from Nwa Yone Daung have not been rescued. We told ICRC to help them. They said they will try,” U Tun Aung Thein said.

Local residents said that two Nwa Yone Daung villagers could not be rescued because it was too dangerous.

The Tatmadaw and the AA engaged in fierce fighting on 17 and 18 July near Kan Pyin village in Buthidaung Township. 

In addition, ongoing clashes broke out in Ann and Ponnagyun Townships while the number of IDPs have reached over 50,000 because to the intensifying fights the Tatmadaw and the AA.

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