Waiting to cross border, Arakan State residents piling up in Muse

By Admin 18 Sep 2023

DMG Newsroom
18 September 2023, Muse

Thousands of people from Arakan State are waiting in Muse, northern Shan State, to cross the border into China after China reopened the border crossing, according to the Arakan Literature and Culture Association (Muse).

They are heading to China to work, and some have run out of money, said the chairman of the association, U Kyaw Myint.

“I think there are more than 1,000 people being accommodated at restaurants and tea shops owned by Arakanese people living in Muse,” he said. “There are many more [Arakan State residents] in guesthouses and other places. Some have been there waiting to cross the border for more than 10 days. They have run out of money and are being forced to sleep on pavements.”

Crossings at the Nandaw, Sinphyu and Manwein border gates were prohibited as part of Beijing’s far-reaching efforts to control the spread of Covid-19. The gates were reopened on September 4 under an agreement reached between the Chinese government and Myanmar’s military regime.

Temporary border passes (TBP) are issued for 2,000 kyats per head at those gates, and TBPs have been issued to more than 1,000 people from the Myanmar side daily since the reopening.

Hundreds of thousands of people from the Myanmar side have arrived in Muse to cross the border. Some have paid brokers 200,000 kyats to 500,000 kyats to get a coveted TBP, and many people get swindled, said U Tun Aung Kyaw from the Arakan Literature and Culture Association (Muse).

“Some people brought only a little money, thinking that they would easily get a TBP. They are having difficulties. Many of them have turned back. So, I would like to urge the people to enquire properly before they come,” he said.

A Kyaukphyu resident who recently arrived in Muse said: “The most important thing is to get into China. Then, I will act accordingly. If I can work six days a week with a TBP, it would be better than in my hometown. There are no job opportunities in Kyaukphyu. I am determined to cross the border into China.”

Poverty, rising unemployment and inflation have led many men and women in Arakan State to seek job opportunities overseas, in most cases as illegal migrant workers. Their major destinations are Malaysia, Thailand and China.