Locals have lost the rights to information due to the phone and internet blackouts in townships in northern Arakan State after the Cyclone Mocha.
Locals are unable to get the real-time information due to the lack of access to phone and internet. The flow of information faces a delay, said a volunteer from Rathedaung Township.
“MPT and Mytel Sim cards are not working in rural areas. Other Sim cards are disconnected after about five minutes. The people have to go to the places close to Maungdaw and Rathedaung to make calls. Some people who go to the hills can’t make calls,” he added.
It has been almost one month since phone and internet blackouts in the storm-hit areas. Locals have to hear from each other to get information.
The lack of access to phone and internet have an impact on health, education and social sectors, locals said.
“I have to go to Buthidaung to see documents and orders from the office due to the internet blackout. Normally, the people from the administrative body get information via the Viber group. Due to inconvenience caused after the cyclone, I have to deal with this problem as I said before,” said Arnowar Sadek, an administrator from Myaungnar Muslim village in Buthidaung Township.
The coverage of real-time ground news faces difficulty as media based in Arakan State have to rely mainly on the internet to operate their work, said those working in the media industry in Arakan State.
Ko Wunna Khwar Nyo, Chief Editor from Western News said: “Following the cyclone, I can’t phone the people in the rural areas. Locals from the rural areas have to go to the city to use the internet. Journalists have to do their work with a lot of difficulties.”
Cyclone-hit Myawaddy TV retransmission station and FM retransmission station in Sittwe have been repaired.
Myawaddy TV channel and FM radio can be received about six miles from the retransmission stations, according to the Rakhine Daily News which covers the military council’s news every day.
U Aung Kyaw from Tawkan village in Sittwe Township said: “I can neither get the news via TV nor online. I have no radio. I think the information available from others is not accurate.”
Following the cyclone, Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Maungdaw, Kyauktaw, MraukU and Pauktaw Townships in Arakan State have faced power blackouts and a lack of access to phone and internet, locals said.
According to the statement by the military council on 28 May, the cyclone destroyed 904 of 1,233 mobile phone towers in Arakan State.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)