Manaung Twsp starving amid regime blockade of surrounding waters

By Admin 11 Dec 2023

DMG Newsroom
11 December 2023, Manaung

Food stocks are running low in Manaung Township due to the junta’s blockade, and low-income families are struggling to make ends meet as prices rise on increasingly scarce goods.

Manaung Township is an island in the Bay of Bengal, and relies on water transport to connect with other townships in Arakan State.

Since renewed fighting broke out between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) on November 13, the regime has imposed a ban on fishing and sea travel around Manaung Township.

Food supplies are running low as a result, and low-wage workers are going hungry.

“We made a living by fishing previously. We have run out of money as we can’t fish now. We have been forced to borrow money. So we sometimes have to skip meals to feed our children,” said a woman from Zayat Kon Khin Village.

As of the 2019 population census, Manaung Township had a population of 57,000 people. The township is made up of five wards and 130 villages. The majority of rural residents primarily engage in fishing and livestock husbandry.

Fish and livestock from Manaung Township are sold to Ramree, Kyaukphyu and Taungup townships, and Manaung buys foodstuffs and consumer goods from those townships.

As it has been nearly one month since the regime imposed travel restrictions, daily wage earners including fishermen, boatmen, bricklayers, carpenters are struggling to feed themselves.

“The price of fish that is produced on this island has reached nearly 30,000 kyats per viss. The price of fuel has also shot up to over 20,000 kyats per litre. The prices of other food items have also jumped, and you can’t buy them even if you have money. So, daily-wage earners can only wait to die,” said a woman from Zeetaw Village.

Manaung Township, due to its geographical location, has never been affected by the previous fighting in Arakan State. Local residents have called on the regime to lift restrictions as there is no fighting going on currently.

“The fighting is taking place in northern Arakan, not here. The fact that they are cutting off supplies is pushing locals to take up arms,” said a Manaung resident.

Rule 53 of international humanitarian law prohibits the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare. Rule 54 prohibits attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population.