A food support plan for more than 200 households that have faced difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic in Darlat Chaung village-tract, Ann township, has been suspended indefinitely due to lack of permission, according to the Myittar Shin volunteer group.
The volunteer organisation was barred at a checkpoint manned by the military’s Light Infantry Division No. 373 in Ann Township on August 27, on their way to Darlat Chaung village tract. The group was planning to bring rice, salt, fish paste and other food supplies to more than 200 households of ethnic Chin people who have faced livelihood difficulties.
A responsible person from LID 373, which is based beside the Sittwe-Yangon road, told them that it required the permission of the township administrator to pass.
Although Myittar Shin applied for the township administrator’s permission, they had not received it as of August 30, so the plan was suspended, said Ko Soe Win, chair of the volunteer group.
“Although we went to the township administrator, we didn’t get permission. We also submitted a letter. They said it needs the border affairs minister’s approval. We think they’re just batting the ball back and forth with each other,” he said.
Ko Soe Win said he assumed the issue was that authorities at some level did not want civil society organisations to go to Darlat Chaung village tract.
“We cannot go to the forests [for livelihood purposes] due to landmines left by fighting. Wage-earners have faced difficulties during the Covid-19 period as they cannot go outside. Meanwhile, banning donors from helping us can cause more hardships,” said an anonymous local resident of Darlat Chaung.
DMG phoned the Ann Township administrator, U Htay Aung, and Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura to seek comment on the barring of food support, but they could not be reached.
Wage-earners have faced hardships during the pandemic due to a shortage of job opportunities, while Covid-19 restrictions on movement and fear of landmine risks have prevented locals in many Arakan State townships from venturing out to forage for food, firewood and other sources of livelihood.
