UK minister pays visit to Arakan’s refugee camps

UK minister pays visit to Arakan’s refugee camps
by -
Narinjara

British minister Alan Duncan arrived in Arakan on Tuesday to observe the latest situation of refugees, taking shelter in various camps of the western State of Burma.

Alan meet daw suuThe UK minister of state for international development visited several refugee camps in Sittwe and Mray Bon during his two day visit,  informed a lawmaker, U Aung Mra Kyaw.

“As far as I know, during his visit from 18 to 19 June, the UK minister visited many refugee camps in Sittwe located at Thet Kay Byin, Thae Chaung, Dapai, Aung Mingalar and Set Rokya. Alan Duncan also flew to Mray Bon by a government chopper to understand the situation of Muslim refugees there,” added the Arakanese lawmaker.

The UK minister also held a meeting with Arakan State government representatives on Wednesday in Sittwe town hall where the envoys of local UN body and a British NGO, Department for International Development were present.

The meeting lasted for around 20 minutes.

U Aung Than Tin, the Arakanese mining minister, who attended the meeting expressed his dismay that the meeting with the UK minister ‘was very short and lasted for only 20 minutes’.

Alan Duncan raised few questions relating to the rehabilitation plan for the refugees. But he was very brief, added the State mining minister.

Narinjara tracked the development but could not get the details about the said meeting with the UK minister due to technical difficulties. In fact, the Arakan State minister U Aung Than Tin disconnected the phone line citing some problems.

Soon after the meeting, the UK minister left Sittwe for Yangon.