Government Delegation Met The Locals In Sittwe

RB News 

April 21, 2013 

Sittwe (Akyab), Arakan - On 19th April 2013, Friday, evening, a delegation led by the minister at the ministry of defense met with the representatives both Rakhine community and Rohingya community in the Bandoola Hall, Sittwe. 

The government delegation met with 15 representatives, from Rakhine community, including a lawyer, U Tha Pwin and U Maung Nyunt Sein. In the meeting, Rakhine representatives rejected all the proposals of peacefully living back together with Rohingyas. 

Then, the delegation met with 15 representatives from Rohingya community. That included U Shwe Zan, U Shwe Hla and U Aung Thein. The delegation stated that they would build hospitals, schools, markets, jetties and houses for the IDP at the current locations. So, they asked Rohingya IDP to live at the current location and not to demand to settle back to their original places. However, the Rohingya representatives except for U Shwe Hla hailing from Aung Mingala Quarter said that they could not agree to such proposals. Therefore, the meeting was ended abruptly. 

Five representatives from Aung Mingala Quarter, five from Thakket-Pyin Refugee Camp and other five were from the Rohingya IDP camps in other townships. The delegation was led by the minister at the ministry of defense and it also included the minister at the president’s office, U Tin Naing Thein and the chief director of the ministry of immigration and population, U Maung Than. 

“We were terrorized and our houses on which we have been living for generations were razed. Our relatives were mercilessly killed. Our properties and belongings were looted. It will be a year soon that we have been staying in these concentration camps amidst the immense troubles. We just want to go back to our original lands” said an internally displaced person to RB news. 

“For generations, we have been living peacefully together with Rakhines. Only today, we have become victims and scapegoats due to the hatred propaganda spread by the self-centered politicians for their political benefits” he continued. 

Last Wednesday (i.e. on 17th April 2013), many of the temporary tents broke down due to the strong wind hit the area. The Rohingya IDP had to build their own temporary tents and even now, they are to rebuild them by themselves after breaking down. 

President U Thein Sein declared in July last year that Rohingya IDP would be kept in the concentration camps and then sent to the third countries. Therefore, most of the Rohingya refugees are of the opinion that the purpose of the current delegation is to implement the same policy against Rohingyas. 

(Translated into English by Maung Aurther)