Huge Rakhine exodus in 2022 triggered by the coup, instability and lack of job opportunities

Narinjara, January 6, 2022

Rakhine state recorded the highest number of people from Myanmar going abroad in 2022 due to instability, war and scarcity of jobs, according to U Tin Htoo Aung, Chairman of the Arakan National Network.

U Tin Htoo Aung, Chairman of the Arakan National Network told Narinjara “The military coup triggered hyperinflation, instability and worsened the scarcity of jobs in the region, hence the number of people venturing abroad is increasing. In Rakhine state the situation is made worse because we lack the infrastructure of factories and workshops. The most important thing we need is political stability. If politics is stable, the economy will be stable. Public life will develop only when the economy is stable.”

He continued, “In 2022, the number of people who went abroad as migrant workers greatly increased compared to previous years. It is easy to see that 2022 was the year with the highest number of people leaving for abroad. However it is not easy to accurately collect the figures because we were not able to accurately count the number of people who left the country.”

While the Chairman of the ANN told Narinjara that the outflow of people from Rakhine was the biggest in Myanmar, he admits that there are no accurate statistics of the outflow abroad either from Rakhine, nor from any other region to verify this claim.

A young man from Pauktaw township in Rakhine state, who is going to work in Malaysia Explained “Since there is a shortage of jobs in Rakhine, many people go abroad.In Rakhine even if you get a job, the salary is pretty low. And prices have gone up a lot. So many Rakhine people have to go abroad to work. The average salary in Rakhine is around 200,000-300,000 (Myanmar Kyats), and due to the current price of goods, it is no longer enough to support the family. That’s why I went abroad.”

Most of those who left Rakhine state to work abroad went to countries like Thailand, Malaysia, China and Brunei. When they go abroad like this, they often use illegal routes rather than legal ones, so they are facing arrests every day.

Since July 2022, when fighting with the Arakan Army (AA) was renewed, the Military Council has been arresting locals in Rakhine state and blocking roads and waterways, that are mainly used by the public, causing instability in the region. 

Among those who leave Rakhine state to work abroad are not only men, but also many women.