Military turns back ICRC supply boat in Rathedaung Twsp

25 Dec 2020

Hnin Nwe | DMG
25 December 2020, Sittwe

A motorboat rented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to reach villages in Rathedaung Township, Arakan State, for food deliveries was turned back by a Tatmadaw watercraft in the Mayu River on December 24, locals said.    

The ICRC boat had to return to its point of departure and was prevented from providing food to Oak Pho and Sin Khone Daing village-tracts, according to U Maung Bu, the administrator of Sin Khone Daing village-tract. 

“I phoned an official of the ICRC office when they did not arrive at the village at the time they should have reached it. The official responded that the boat had to return as a Navy watercraft prohibited the ICRC boat from continuing on the journey because it could not show official documents from the township office,” he told DMG. 

The ICRC did not say when it would come again, he added. 

Some villagers were waiting for the ICRC boat at a local village jetty for three hours to help carry the anticipated food supplies. Ko Win Naing, a resident of Oak Pho village who was among them, said: “We were waiting for the boat until evening. The Tatmadaw should not do that while people are facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 outbreak and armed conflict. Their actions caused losses for the people.”  

U Khin Maung Latt, the Amyotha Hluttaw MP for Rathedaung Township, criticised the travel restrictions imposed on the boat carrying food supplies for people in need.  

“I heard about the case through residents from the village. Such travel bans on boats carrying food supplies for the people happened previously. Their image will not be good among the international community,” the lawmaker said of those responsible.  

“The boats carrying food supplies are travelling after receiving permission from the government,” he added. “I think there is no contact between officials from state-level and township-level teams.” 

DMG phoned the local ICRC office seeking additional details on Thursday’s incident, but it declined to comment. DMG also reached out to Tatmadaw True News Information Team spokesperson Major-General Zaw Min Tun and Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Min Than, but they could not be reached.  

On October 28, a motorboat carrying ICRC relief supplies was fired upon by the Tatmadaw in the Mayu River in Rathedaung Township, killing one person and severely injuring two others. The military said the boat was carrying members of the Arakan Army who fired shots first, prompting Tatmadaw troops to return fire. Survivors of the attack refuted those claims.