Sittwe passport office resumes issuing tokens for passport applicants

By Admin 04 Apr 2023

DMG Newsroom
4 April 2023, Sittwe

The Arakan State passport office on Monday resumed issuing “tokens” to new passport applicants, according to the branch.

The office in March suspended issuing the so-called tokens, which allow applicants to get their names in the office’s appointment book.

“I came to the passport office around March 20,” said one applicant. “They said they had suspended issuing tokens. So, I asked about the date when it would resume. So, I have come today. I asked about how much it would cost if I apply through middlemen. However, it is expensive, and I decided to wait until the office resumes.”

“Individuals, former politicians and fugitive journalists are not issued tokens,” said Ko Myat Min from Ponnagyun Township.

Some have gone as far as pawning their property to secure funds to work overseas, even as debt burdens have grown for those unable to get a passport to leave the country.

An official of the Sittwe branch passport office said the office had suspended issuing tokens because of large numbers of applicants and some technical problems with related equipment.

Nearly 200 people have applied for passports since the resumption of token issuance on Monday, according to the passport office.

As Myanmar is celebrating its week-long Thingyan holiday this month, applicants are concerned that there might be delays.

“There are many public holidays this month because of Thingyan. It normally takes around two weeks to get a passport. I am concerned that it might take a week more because of the holidays,” said Ma Myat Noe from Ann Township.

An understood unofficial arrangement has seen applicants waiting for hours to get tokens if they apply by themselves, but those who opt to apply through middlemen do not need to wait.

The going rate to apply for passports through middlemen in Arakan State stands between 350,000 kyats and 500,000 kyats, according to passport applicants. So, many applicants choose to apply by themselves.

Since the coup in February 2021, more and more people are leaving Arakan State for better money-making prospects in foreign countries amid growing social and economic crises triggered by the military takeover.