10-billion yen pledge for conflict-hit areas
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Aid aimed at spurring peace process, coordinating between govt, ethnic forces
Japan has pledged 10 billion yen to aid conflict-affected communities and to support the peace process in Myanmar, Japanese Ambassador Mikio Numata told a press conference this week.
“The peace process between the Myanmar government and the ethnic [armed groups] is a must implement plan.
“The Japanese government at the moment welcomes the progress being made between them,” said Ambassador Mikio Numata.
The Japanese government has already provided 91 billion yen when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Myanmar last May. Myanmar also received 63 billion yen at the Myanmar-Japan Summit held in Tokyo in December aimed mainly at supporting development and infrastructure projects.
The present 10 billion yen comes in addition to these earlier loans and is directed towards the peace process and to raise living standards in conflict affected areas.
Special envoy to Myanmar, Yohei Sasakawa was appointed to help Myanmar’s peace process and to coordinate between the Myanmar government and ethnic armed forces.
“Conflict hit areas in Myanmar still need to build stability as international aid cannot reach them. As far as I’ve experienced, they have to run and flee from their homes because of conflict.
“They had to stay at other people’s houses. They have no work and became daily wage workers. Mothers couldn’t feed their children nutritiously. When the children became sick, medical help couldn’t be reached. I felt that they need very much assistance,” said Yohei Sasakawa.
The 10 billion yen assistance will be provided over a five-year period. At first, assistance will go to fulfilling the basic needs of the refugees such as food and medicine. Later, it will help in building houses for refugees and providing vocational training.
To fully utilise the assistance given by the Japanese government, a non-governmental organisation has to take the responsibility to make sure the funds are distributed correctly.
Japan aims to implement the plan immediately and will discuss which region to supply assistance to during the next ceasefire agreement meeting.
They admitted that they will face some difficulties if the regions they are to give assistance are controlled by ethnic armed groups, but added that the assistance will also go to violence hit areas as well.
