More Muslims leaving Arakan State for better prospects abroad

By Admin 01 Aug 2024

DMG Newsroom
1 August 2024, Sittwe

More Muslims are leaving Arakan State to pursue better lives abroad amid financial hardships and scarcity of livelihood opportunities in the war-torn state.

They pay large sums of money to agents to work as undocumented workers in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, said Muslim villagers.

A Muslim man from Wakin Village in Kyauktaw Township said: “Many young people from our village have left for Malaysia. People are suffering economic hardships here without jobs. So, they take the risk.”

Kyauktaw Township has seen a mass exodus of Muslim people, with upwards of 50 young people including women leaving some villages every month, according to community elders.

Muslims in Mrauk-U, Minbya and Sittwe townships are also leaving Arakan State as they search for greener pastures, said community elders.

One Muslim man from Paung Toke Village in Mrauk-U Township said: “As jobs are scarce, young people are easily swayed by agents. Their parents have to spend their life’s savings to pay agent fees.”

Agent fees typically total more than 1.2 million kyats to get to Malaysia. There are risks as well, including potential arrest along the way, or being swindled by agents.

Unemployment rates have surged in Arakan State due to months of armed conflict between Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakkha Army (AA). Non-Muslim residents in Arakan State including Arakanese and other ethnic people are also leaving the state for foreign countries. Many Arakanese youth in other parts of Myanmar are leaving the country too.

Arakan State residents are facing material hardships and shortages as the regime has cut off trade with other parts of the country following the resumption of hostilities in November.