The ongoing conflicts in Kachin province of Burma have forced hundreds of Arakanese workers to return back. For record, 182 Arakanese workers including some children on Sunday returned to their native villages in Arakan after spending 6 years there, said U Pru Tha Chay, vice-president of Arakanese literature and culture association based in Myitkyina.
The workers had to face many difficulties for their survival since a war is going on in the northern province of Burma between the rebels of Kachin Independent Army (KIA) and the Burmese security forces.
“The war has left tremendous troubles for the Arakanese workers in Kachin and hence we had organized and arranged their return to Arakan,” added the Arakanese leader based in the Kachin capital city of Myitkyina.
Most of the migrant workers left Arakan six years back and worked at Laysa village in Winmaw township of Kachin State as daily wage earners in banana gardens.
According to the workers’ source, around 30,000 Arakanese are working at Hukong valley of Kachin in various work fields there.
“Myitkyina arranged the travel expenditure for them with the financial support from the Kachin government and also contributions from kind individuals. We could collect over Kyat 5 million to meet their traveling costs,” revealed U Pru Tha Chay.
According to sources, the Kachin government gave Kyat 1 million and the rest (around Kyat 4.2 million) was covered by the contributions from social organization and individuals for their traveling fees.
The Arakanese workers, who left Myitkyina of Kachin on February 23 and finally arrived in their native villages under Minbya & Mraybon townships of Arakan via Mandalay by the evening of February 25 last.
