Arakan State govt says it is ready to help migrant workers stranded in Yangon

By Kyaw Thu Htay 18 Nov 2020

Kyaw Thu Htay | DMG
18 November 2020, Sittwe 

The Arakan State government stands ready to assist migrant workers and others in Yangon who are struggling to return to Arakan State during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a state government spokesman, who added that no one had sought help so far. 

The spokesman, Arakan State Municipal Affairs Minister U Win Myint, said the administration is ready to help anyone who wants to come back if they get in touch with the Arakanese (Rakhine) ethnic affairs minister for Yangon Region.  

“However, there is no one who has asked for help from us,” he added. 

“We have to solve the difficulties that our people are facing. However, we need connections to be made. There is nobody who has communicated with us. If there are reports in writing that this number of people in Yangon have been stranded and the Arakan State government is asked to help, then we will manage what to do from here,” U Win Myint said.  

Yangon Region Arakanese Ethnic Affairs Minister U Zaw Aye Maung told DMG on November 17 that his ministry has been making arrangements to get travel permits for those desiring to return to Arakan State. 

The Laywaddy Kula Rakhita organisation said it had facilitated the transport of an initial group of people stranded in Yangon to Arakan State.  

“But the administration officer at Yangon’s Aungmingalar bus terminal had not permitted travel for the second batch. And that is why the people are facing difficulties,” said Ko Byar La of Laywaddy Kula Rakhita. 

“Though we have reported the difficulties to both the Yangon Region Arakanese ethnic affairs minister and the Yangon Region government, the Arakan government replied that they would not accept them. So, we have suspended sending them,” he added. 

“We have reported to the Yangon Region government that there are more than 2,000 people. They said the Arakan State government reportedly had not accepted [their return]. That is why we are not sending these people. If they accept them for quarantine, we are ready to send them to every township,” Ko Byar La said, alluding to the challenges of moving people across borders, even domestically, in the coronavirus era. 

It has been nearly three months since factories in Yangon closed due to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, with most of those stranded in the commercial capital being migrant workers from the shuttered factories. Without salaries, the laid off workers from Arakan State are facing financial difficulties and want to return to Arakan State, Laywaddy Kula Rakhita said.