Regime’s delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to Arakan Army delayed

By DMG 26 Oct 2021

DMG Newsroom
26 October 2021, Sittwe 

Myanmar’s military regime has said it will provide Covid-19 vaccines to the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), but there have been delays in delivering the vaccine. 

U Hla Thein, chairperson of the Arakan State Administration Council (ASAC) information team, told media outlets on September 20 that members of the AA are included in the ethnic armed organisations to be given vaccine priority. 

He said the plan to vaccinate AA members was being worked out at the Union level and that the ethnic armed group was negotiating with the Myanmar military. 

“I understand that the Covid-19 vaccine is a matter of coordination between the military and the Arakan Army because it is not planned by the local government. If the vaccine is given in consultation with the Tatmadaw [Myanmar military], it will probably inform the local government,” he added. 

The Arakan State Administration Council said it was ready to provide the vaccine as soon as the Union government approved the Covid-19 inoculation campaign. 

“We want no one to be left behind in the Covid-19 vaccination, and we are planning to vaccinate people in ethnic armed [group-controlled] areas as well as in Arakan State. Covid-19 vaccination is not a political act, but a political and national issue,” said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief. 

Covid-19 vaccines to be delivered by Myanmar’s military regime will be provided for the people as a matter of priority, U Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the ULA/AA, told DMG on September 21. 

Vaccination drives will take place in Minbya, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung and Maungdaw townships in areas controlled by the ULA/AA, U Khaing Thukha said. 

On October 17, the government began a vaccination push targeting students aged 12 years old and up in Arakan State, and the vaccine has so far been administered to more than 400,000 people statewide, the state’s Public Health Department said.