Regime imposes travel ban on local, international NGOs in Arakan State

By DMG 16 Sep 2022

DMG Newsroom
16 September 2022, Sittwe 

Myanmar’s military regime has barred local and international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) from travelling to multiple townships in Arakan State following the renewed fighting between junta troops and the Arakan Army (AA) over recent weeks. 

Local and international NGOs have been barred from travelling to Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Minbya, Mrauk-U and Myebon townships as of Friday, an employee from an international NGO told DMG on condition of anonymity. 

“Last night, our office emailed us about the travel ban,” he said. The Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Ministry imposed the ban citing security concerns, and it is not known how long the ban will last, he added. 

Because the majority of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Arakan State rely on relief supplies provided by local and international NGOs, the junta’s new restrictions will worsen the hardships these populations are facing, an NGO employee told DMG. 

“They will surely experience hardships. They can’t work and they rely solely on relief supplies from NGOs and INGOs. So, they will suffer more,” said the employee. 

Local and international NGOs also provide healthcare services for IDPs, and the junta’s restrictions will also negatively affect the health of IDPs, said U Kyaw Win from Taung Min Kalar displacement camp in Kyauktaw. 

“The ban will push us into trouble,” he said. “We don’t mind banning the NGOs if the [military] government can provide the relief aid that they [NGOs] are supplying us monthly. But the government is giving us nothing, and it is now banning those supplying us. So, we will be in deep trouble.” 

It has been several months since the junta’s Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement supplied humanitarian aid to many IDPs in Arakan State. 

DMG was unable to obtain comment from Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura and the Arakan State military government’s spokesman, U Hla Thein. 

Some 60,000 people displaced by fighting between 2018 and 2020 remain at displacement camps, and about 6,000 more have been recently displaced by fresh clashes between junta and AA troops.