Tun Kaing (Taung Yin Kyun) / Saung Zar Kyi

Narinjara News, 21 June  2020

Rakhine political parties, civil society organisations andmedia groups have written an open letter to the President and the StateCounsellor stating that following the internet shutdown in seven townships inRakhine and Paletwa in Chin state the number of clashes has doubled.

Sent on June 19 the letter said that in the 12 months betweenJune 2018 and May 2019 before the shutdown was imposed, there were 129clashes.  In the 12 months between June 2019 and May 2020 after theban was imposed, the number of armed clashes more than doubled to 273.

The letter highlighted the alarming increase in civiliancasualties - from December 2018 to December 2019, a period of 13 months, therewere 199 civilians wounded and 101 civilian fatalities.  Howeverbetween January to May 2020 a period of just five months 344 civilians werewounded and 151 fatalities.

The letter said that apart from the internet ban not helpingto reduce the conflict, the blackout continues to have an adverse affect on thepublic, and is detrimental towards the protection of the lives and property ofthe people as well as to regional stability. Access to the internet will helpenable people to protect their lives, property and welfare.

The open letter to the president and the state counsellor wassigned by three political parties, 64 civil society organizations, seveninternational Rakhine civil society organizations, three news organizations andone individual.