Arakanese refugees anxious about returning home

18 Jun 2019

Sein Ko Ko | DMG

17 June, Sittwe

Although refugees in Arakan State want to return their homeland, they have a lot of obstacles and feel apprehensive, according to refugees in the camps.

Most refugees want to return home but they face challenges such continuing their business practices and having access to health care and education in their home villages, said Daw Ma Oo Sein, a refugee from Wah Taung IDP camp in Kyauktaw Township.

“The major obstacles involve regional economic conditions, health care services and education access. We don’t think school teachers will journey to our villages. Even before the clashes, they didn’t come regularly. they came just once a month. If the battles are ongoing, they won’t come and our children will lack education,” she said.

 The refugees from the camps have to depend on food provided by relief aid groups and they endure many hardships because they have to survive in poor living conditions in the camps, so they all wanted to return home if the battles stop, said U Hla Maung Tha, a refugee who lived in Myadazaung monastery in Mrauk-U town.

“If there is no gunfire in our region, we want to return home. We have no power to stop the fighting. I miss my home and desperately want to return to it. I don’t want to live here. But I have children and grandchildren and I love them. So, I can’t live being separated from them. So, I have to stay here. As for myself, I don’t care if I will be killed, I’m not happy at my home without my grandchildren,” he said.

U Thinkha Kyaw, who fled from Pann Myaung village, also said that villagers wanted to return home if there was no fighting but they were afraid of staying in their homeland now because armed conflicts were still occurring in or close to their village.

“We want to return home but we can’t because of constant battles. We would like to go home if battles are over,” he said.

There are over forty-five thousand refugees in as many as 100 refugee camps in Arakan State and they all worry about returning home.