The military junta has banned people holding an 11/Tha Ta Na (Naing) National Registration Card issued in Thandwe Township from entering Arakan State, according to local sources.
A displaced woman reported that the junta denied entry to Thandwe residents who had fled to Ayeyarwady and Yangon and wanted to return to Arakan, forcing them to turn back.
“We tried to return to our region on 5 August. At the entry checkpoint, they checked our NRCs and then said that people from Thandwe weren’t allowed to enter. So we had to turn back,” she explained.
According to reports, the checkpoints on the Rakhine Yoma route from Ayeyarwady region to Gwa Township in Arakan State enforce this restriction.
A local from Gwa said that only NRC holders from Thandwe are prohibited from entering Arakan State. People from other townships can travel if they can show their ID cards and letters of recommendation.
“With a Gwa NRC, there is no much difficulty in entering or leaving if you have the NRC and letter of recommendation. Locals from Gwa can travel without any problems with a signature from the General Administration Office. In Thandwe, they can only leave but not enter. They’ll not let anyone enter with a Thandwe ID who is from the mainland. We have seen entire vehicles being turned back,” explains the Gwa resident.
Currently, displaced Thandwe residents are trying to return to Arakan State as food and living conditions are difficult in their current places of residence.
A displaced woman from Thandwe in Yangon said, “Here, it’s not our own house or land here, so it’s not easy to stay for long. Without work, it would be easier to earn a living in our own region. That’s why we tried to go back. Now that we can’t enter, we could face a lot of hardships here”
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in various places due to the armed conflict in Arakan State and are facing a lack of jobs and high commodity prices. This has caused livelihood difficulties.
In Thandwe Township, the Arakan Army (AA) has captured two battalions of the military junta, Thandwe airport, Thandwe town and the Ngapali hotel zone and is currently attacking the remaining Maung Shwe Lay Naval Base.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)