Laukkai refuges return back homes

 

Since February, they took shelter at the refugee camps in Thiri Mingala Mansu Shan monastery and Mansu Bamar monastery in the 12th ward of Lashio Township.

“Currently, refugees who returned back homes are being temporarily sheltered at No.1 Basic Education High School in Laukkai. We are going to arrange for those war refugees who must stay in individual shelters. And then we will arrange for some house owners to go their houses,” said Kyaw Kyaw Htun, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

“We are happy to return to the Laukkai. However, we have heard that our houses and apartments in Laukkai had been burgled. Some houses were burned. Nevertheless, we will arrive in Laukkai, we can earn a living as whatever jobs if the situation will be stable liked in the past. We would like to say Thanks for all,” said Htu Shan, a local.

War refugees returned to Laukkai under the arrangements of the government’s transportation access and some also have gone to homes after riding in their motorcycles, three-wheeled passengers’ vehicles and own cars.

Within over two months, there are 24,200 war refugees sent to their respective areas across the nation through Thiri Mingalar Mansu Shan Monastery.

On April 18, the commander-in-chief of the defence services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said that Kokang clashes are nearing an end.

“Thank you for your help. Now the clashes are nearly at an end,” Min Aung Hlaing told injured soldiers at No.9 Military Hospital, Lashio.

The fighting between government soldiers and Kokang rebels started on February 9. 

According to the government, 110 soldiers have died and 259 have been injured from February 9 to March 21, from 253 clashes. It claims Kokang armed groups fled from the main areas of Parsinkyaw's east and northeast, with the army recapturing hills near the Chinese border.

It said the Kokang forces were deployed in high land in Santaaikshan and Shinkhattan with the government seizing hills numbered 1553, 1859 and 1753.

The rebels, calling themselves Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), are a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT).

The UNFC said that the issues should be resolved through political discussion, not conflict. Now MNDAA has used force to solve problems, the case should be handled by the UNFC, according to Colonel Khun Okka, joint secretary of UNFC. 

The UNFC sent an open letter to President Thein Sein on April 13 saying that clashes in Kokang hindered nationwide ceasefire talks and the government needed to stop conflict through discussion.

The Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) and NCCT have agreed a final draft of the nationwide ceasefire agreement despite the ongoing conflict in Kokang.