Myanmar Navy bans fishermen from waters off coast of Tanintharyi’s Palaw Twsp

By Admin 16 Oct 2023

DMG Newsroom
16 October 2023, Palaw, Tanintharyi Region
 
Local fishermen in Palaw Township, Tanintharyi Region, are facing livelihood hardships as the Myanmar Navy has banned them from fishing in waters off the coast.
 
Since September, the Myanmar Navy has banned fishing in the sea, and those who go out to fish have been threatened and fired upon by small warships, said a local man from Pyinphyu Village in Lakku Village-tract.
 
“Fishermen have not been allowed to fish for about a month. The people who were poaching had to flee because the navy chased them with their ships and guns. We will go hungry if we are barred from fishing,” he added.
 
The Myanmar Navy’s warships and a military battalion fired heavy weapons and artillery shells on four villages after clashes between the military and local anti-regime forces were reported near the villages from September 15 to 28.
 
The Myanmar Navy is patrolling waters off the coast of Palaw Township with at least three warships and banning people working in the fishing industry from going out to sea, according to local villagers.
 
“The military has been banning local fishermen from fishing in the sea for a long time now. As soon as the local fishermen go out to sea, Myanmar Navy ships and boats shoot at them. Locals are struggling to make ends meet as they are banned from fishing,” said a local woman from Lakku Village.
 
Many fishermen from Lakku, Pyinphyu and To villages have left their villages and moved to other townships to find jobs due to the ban on fishing.
 
“We are not allowed to go fishing. It is not convenient for us to live in our native village and make a living in the long run. We move to another area to seek a better life,” said a local man from To Village.
 
DMG phoned U Thant Zin, Minister of Social Affairs for the Tanintharyi Region, regarding residents’ accusations vis-a-vis the Myanmar Navy, but he could not be reached.