The military council has reportedly ordered some displaced people in Arakan State to return to their homes during the ceasefire with the Arakan Army (AA), but the residents of Tinma village, who have repeatedly asked to return, has not yet been allowed to do so.
The displaced villagers have already asked the military council nine times to clear landmines and rebuild houses destroyed by fire, but until today there has been no talk about their return, Tinma villagers said.
“Our whole village signed a request to return home. But the military council hasn’t given us an answer until today. We can’t return to our homes. All we want is return to our homes. Whether they provide support for us or not, we want to go home. If they allow us, we’ll go back now. We want the Myanmar Army soldiers to leave the villages and return to their mother battalions,” said U Bar Pye Chay, a resident of Tinma village.
U Maung Tun Nyunt, another Tinma resident, said the military council should arrange the return of Tinma villagers just like people from other townships when there is no more armed conflict.
“Just like the others, we also want to return home. I want the military council to take responsibility for our return. We don’t dare to return if they don’t take responsibility. We want to earn a living with what we left behind in our village,” he said.
In the more than three months since the temporary ceasefire between the Arakan Army (AA) and the military council, more than 5,000 people have returned to their homes from various IDP camps, according to the military council’s data.
According to the regime, over 200 people returned from Ann Township, over 2300 from Minbya Township, over 900 from Myebon Township, over 500 from Ponnagyun Township, over 500 from Mrauk-U Township, and over 800 from Ahbaungthar Village in Paletwa Township.
In March 2020, fighting between AA and the junta army forced the entire Tinma village to flee, burning down about 130 of the village’s 600 houses.
The displaced villagers of Tinma have been living in the railway station camp in Kyauktaw for three years now. As a result, they’re calling on the junta to allow them to return to their homes during the ceasefire.
“We aren’t yet among those who the military council has allowed to return home. The military council has yet to clear the mines. And we don’t dare to return because their soldiers are still present in the village. We only want to live in our village and not with others,” said Ma Wai Wai from Tinma village.
DMG tried to call Arakan spokesman SAC, U Hla Thein, to ask him to comment on the return of Tinma villagers, but he did not answer the phone.
The Arakan State military council stated in March 2022 that it would not yet allow the residents of Tinma village in Kyauktaw Township and the residents of Aung Tharsi, Yay Soe Chaung, Htee Swe, and Kyauk Tan villages in Rathedaung Township to return because troops from both armed forces are near those villages.
Sent by DMG.