Mro among many IDPs facing hardship 

By DMG 07 May 2021

DMG Newsroom
7 May 2021, Ponnagyun 

Ethnic Mro displaced people have also faced food shortages like other internally displaced people (IDPs) in Arakan State, said IDP camp managers. 

Out of all the IDP camps in Arakan State, Mro ethnic people are mostly sheltering at Ahtet Myat Lae and Ven Vwe IDP camps in Ponnagyun Township, and War Taung IDP camp in Kyauktaw Township. 

It has been more than a year since civil society organisations have provided food for IDPs in Ahtet Myat Lae IDP camp, and although the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has provided more than a bucket of rice per IDP once every 45 days, cooking utensils are inadequate at the camp, said U Phyu Thar Aung, manager of the camp. 

“IDPs have faced food shortages and haven’t been provided for for a long time. They have to do odd jobs, like cutting bamboo and firewood. Some have to work at nearby villages and some have to do poultry farm jobs. We cannot count on the government as the government cannot look out for its people’s welfare,” he said. 

The Mro people, who typically rely on forests and farming for livelihoods, found that their cultivated crops were destroyed in fighting that occurred in December 2018, after which they fled to the IDP camps where they currently reside, said U Phyu Thar Aung. 

IDPs said the current tents they have lived in are no longer in good condition, and so, they have faced difficulties in monsoon season, and they also do not dare to return home and are sheltering at the camp as they are worried about being troubled by fighting. 

A total of 728 people from 150 households are sheltering at the Ahtet Myat Lae IDP camp, and they are from 11 villages —  nine villages including Kha Maung, Thein Chaung, Kin Pi and Mee Chaung Khote in Kyauktaw Township and two villages including Sin Thi Phyar and A Wa Pyan villages — in Ponnagyun Township. 

U Tun Chay, an IDP from Panyargyi village, said the World Food Programme provides K15,000 and 1 pyi of rice (about 2.13 kg) per IDP every month at the War Taung IDP camp in Kyauktaw Township; however, it is not enough for a living, and IDPs have to do odd jobs to make ends meet, he noted. 

“We need rice and money, and our shelters are not in good condition. Donors do not arrive here also. It is not OK for living. We have to go to our villages and do odd jobs. We want to return to our villages but are worried fighting might occur again,” said U Tun Chay. 

There are more than 200 tents in War Taung IDP camp and over 1,000 IDPs are sheltering there. The IDPs are from Kha Maung, Thein Chaung, Lay Kwe, Tin Pi, Panyargyi, Tae Wa and Kyauktan villages in Kyauktaw Township. 

There were more than 200,000 IDPs in Arakan State at the peak of the conflict between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army (AA) last year, with some having returned to their homes since a cessation of hostilities in November 2020. Currently, more than 100,000 IDPs are sheltering at displacement camps.