Low-income families in Ramree Twsp say no COVID-19 cash received

By Aung Kaung Zaw 06 Oct 2020

Aung Kaung Zaw | DMG
6 October 2020, Ramree

Poor families in Ramree Township, Arakan State, complain that they have not been receiving COVID-19 relief funds being provided to some households by the government.

Daw Ma Khin Win of Ramree’s No. 3 Ward said coronavirus cash assistance was distributed in her township four times, but she claimed the relief payments have been going to rich people and not a single time to poor people like herself living hand-to-mouth existences.

“My husband is a trishaw man. It has been four times in Ramree that the government gave the assistance in cash. We haven’t gotten it a single time,” she said. “Other rich people are getting it. We went to the village administrator, but he didn’t give us it. He said we can go complain to anyone.”

“There are about 400 people in No. 3 Ward. We have provided the funds to 200. We have asked the government to give us more,” said Daw Khin Saw Yi, the local ward administrator.

“We gave to those who were included on the list collected for the first time. Following the virus’s second wave, the number of jobless people has increased. So, those who were not included on the first list also wanted the funds. We are trying our best,” she added.

Similarly, about 30 residents of Ramree’s No. 5 Ward went to complain to the township administrator’s office and a ward administrator became verbally abusive, according to Daw Sandar Win, a resident of No. 5 Ward.

“We went to the administrator’s office to ask why we are not getting the COVID assistance money. All women from our ward went there. There, the ward administrator had already arrived and shouted abuse at us. Then, we went to the police. He came to the ward in the afternoon and again shouted abuse at us,” she said.

Some local residents said they were made aware of government assistance that consisted of supplies of rice, cooking oil and a small monetary stipend once, K20,000 in cash twice, and K26,000 another time.

However, the residents DMG spoke to said they had received none of this.
The administrators of both the No. 5 Ward and Ramree Township could not be reached for comment.

Villagers from Letpan village-tract in Ramree Township have signed a complaint addressed to the government saying they have not received any coronavirus-related assistance.
Similar complaints have been made by people living in Taungup and Manaung townships, according to local sources.