Landmine worries persist among Arakan State’s farmers and foragers

By DMG 17 Jun 2021

DMG Newsroom
17 June 2021, Sittwe 

Farmers in Arakan State and locals who depend on the forest for their livelihoods are concerned about the dangers of landmines this rainy season and are calling for more effective efforts to address the issue of landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERWs). 

U Soe Naing, a farmer from Tin Nyo village in Mrauk-U Township, told DMG that he was worried about the frequent occurrence of landmine and ERW explosions in Arakan State. 

Four men returning from hunting for frogs were killed in a bomb blast on June 4 in Ponnagyun town, the latest of many incidents involving ERWs in Arakan State. 

“Locals are very concerned about the dangers of landmines,” echoed U Aung Than Tin, a former Arakan State MP for Ponnagyun Township. “During this rainy season, locals do not even dare to go to the forest to find vegetables and fish, so it is difficult for them to make ends meet. The government says it has cleared landmines, but locals are worried about risks of landmines.” 

At least 20 people were killed or injured in ERW encounters in Kyauktaw Township, said U Oo Tun Win, a resident of Kyauktaw, who added that effective landmine risk education should be carried out while fighting has stopped in Arakan State. 

The Rakhine Ethnics Congress (REC) is conducting landmine risk education in Ponnagyun Township, according to U Zaw Zaw Tun, secretary of the REC. 

“We are not conducting landmine risk education with the funds of donors and NGOs. The REC provides as much landmine awareness as possible,” he said. “We are negotiating with schools in other townships to educate about landmine dangers. We will continue to provide landmine risk education if we can negotiate with schools.” 

From March 2020 to March 2021, 602 people from 172 villages and 78 IDP camps in Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Minbya townships were educated in landmine awareness with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

At least 49 people were killed and 79 others were injured in landmine and ERW encounters during some two years of fighting between the military and the Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan State, according to figures from the REC.