Chin and Arakanese students hold informal discussion on regional affairs

17 Jun 2019

Nay Yaung Min | DMG

17 June, Sittwe

Chin and Arakanese students have discussed current situations in their regions following the ongoing armed conflicts between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army including the affairs of IDPs from Chin State’s Paletwa Township and Arakan State.

The first informal discussion between the Arakan Students’ Union (Universities in Yangon) and the Chin Literature and Culture Committee (Universities in Yangon) was held in Yangon on 16 June.

Ko Kyaw Swar Linn, spokesperson of Arakan Students Union, said that Chin students explained the situation of Chin people including how they were threatened following the ongoing conflicts in the region.

“(With meetings like now) suspicions between us disappear. Both sides have reached mutual agreements to some extent. Stronger ties have been established between Chin and Arakanese students,” he said.

They told us about their uneasiness regarding some situations. For instance, they have been threatened on online. They are worried about their security. It was done using fake Facebook accounts, he said.

Chin students also said that some people from unidentified groups bullied some villagers from Paletwa Township.

“The ongoing armed conflict is spreading across Arakan State now. Previously, it occurred in Paletwa and Kyauktaw townships. So, war has affected Paletwa since 2015. So, Chin students told us Chin people have become victims of the battles between the Tatamdaw and the AA although there are no connections between Chin people and the armed conflict,” Ko Kyaw Swar Linn said.

Arakanese students apologized Chin people for being affected while Arakanese people are struggling for national liberation and told them they recognized that Paletwa region is the territory of Chin State.

The students also discussed plans to provide aid relief for IDPs in Arakan State and Paletwa Township in Chin State.

They made an agreement to hold more discussions in the future and they hope they could make resolutions in future meetings, Ko Kyaw Swar Linn said.

“Chin and Arakanese are brothers. We want to maintain our solidarity in spite of the people who are trying try to divide us,” he added.