Junta travel ban for aid groups has humanitarian and political ramifications: analysts

By Admin 10 Jun 2023

DMG Newsroom
10 June 2023, Sittwe

With Myanmar’s military regime imposing a travel ban on local and international nongovernmental organisations and civil society organisations providing humanitarian assistance to victims of Cyclone Mocha in Arakan State, political analysts have weighed in.

Those DMG spoke with broadly agreed in positing that the regime is trying to gain military and political advantage by imposing the travel ban on humanitarian organisations while the people of Arakan suffer through the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha’s devastation.

“The junta’s travel ban on local and international nongovernmental organisations and civil society organisations will cause a lot of trouble for the people affected by the storm in Arakan State. The junta is not allowing international organisations to directly help the storm victims, but they are trying to take advantage militarily and politically,” said U Than Soe Naing, a political analyst.

Talks between the junta and the Northern Alliance, including the Arakan Army, in early June failed to yield positive results.

Arakanese veteran politician U Pe Than criticised that the junta is cutting off food for the people of Arakan State and is worried that aid supplies will go to the AA.

“Arakanese people have been in trouble due to armed conflicts. The junta is worried that relief items will reach the AA. This is the reason why the junta imposes a travel ban on local and international organisations, to cut off food for storm victims in Arakan State,” he said.

Locals said the local and international organisations providing humanitarian assistance to storm victims should be allowed to travel as the storm victims are currently in need of food and shelter.

“Displaced people in Arakan State face difficulties as the junta bars local and international organisations from delivering relief items to the storm victims. We cannot repair our shelters damaged by the cyclonic storm. The junta’s ban causes a lot of difficulties for us,” said U Soe Naing, manager of Tin Nyo displacement camp in Mrauk-U Township.

Regarding the order, junta spokesman U Hla Thein has told DMG: “I am not involved in making such a decision. I don’t know. But in principle, NGOs can’t provide supplies as they wish. Again, this is not a new policy.”

The chief of the AA, Maj-Gen Twan Mrat Naing, wrote on his Twitter on June 9, asking the people of Arakan to overcome the suffering caused by the storm with patience and unity.

A total of 216,681 houses were destroyed or damaged by Cyclone Mocha in Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Myebon, Ratheduang, Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, affecting more than 1.2 million people, according to the AA.