Lack of Jobs Increased Torment of Rakhine Ethnic Groups During Prolonged Fighting

Thinzar Nwe, Narinjara News, 10 October 2024

 

The previously impoverished Rakhine ethnic groups are experiencing ever-greater challenges as a result of significant employment shortages and uncertain revenue sources during the ongoing fighting in Arakan State.

 

Ponnagyun Township's displaced Mro man said, "We Mro people have always been poorer than the Arakanese. These days, our families cannot afford rice, not even when we perform odd jobs like harvesting bamboo shoots or cutting firewood. Despite our best efforts, there is still a shortage of rice for daily consumption as more individuals escape the fighting."

 

He clarified that as unemployment rates rise, there is more competition in local marketplaces for those engaged in activities like picking bamboo shoots and cutting firewood, which lowers prices.

 

"The displaced Arakanese people have taken to picking bamboo shoots or cutting firewood since they are having trouble finding work. There are now fewer bamboo shoots to gather since so many people who have never done this kind of work before are giving it a try. Eating has become quite difficult for us, and living has gotten very unpleasant.. Both men and women are forced to take on these jobs. We have to persevere in order to live," he told Narinjara News.

 

The Arakanese, Mro, Chak, Khami, Kaman, Daingnet (sometimes called Thetkama), and Marmagyi are among the ethnic groups that make up Rakhine. The main source of income for the communities of Mro, Chak, Khami, and Daingnet is hillside farming.

 

It is now too risky for these communities to enter the forests and mountains where they used to labor and gather food because of the ongoing fighting, which has left these places riddled with landmines and other war remnants.

 

A young Daingnet woman from Nan Kya village described how the dearth of employment opportunities has compelled Daingnet women from Mrauk-U Township's Daingnet villages to work as tenant farmers.

 

“We work as tenant farmers and make roughly ten thousand kyats a day when it comes time to plant seedlings. Our daily earnings during the eggplant growing season in the winter are approximately five thousand kyats. We used to order garments to sell, and we also produced vegetables and sold fruits commercially after getting seeds from Yangon before the closure of the Yangon Road. These days, seeds are hard to come by and prohibitively expensive when they are available. Commercial planting of them is no longer feasible. Many people are limited to seasonal employment due to the scarcity of jobs,” she remarked, "Life is a lot harder now than it used to be.”

 

Many residents of the townships of Ponnagyun, Mrauk-U, Pauktaw, and Minbya are unemployed in addition to having poor health and being unable to pay for medical care.

 

Particularly in rural regions, skin problems brought on by tainted water are a problem.

 

A Kha Maung Tet village refugee in Mrauk-U Township conveyed her concern at not being able to afford medical care.

 

"I am unable to pay for medical care, and I have never received assistance. I am struggling so much, and I am losing will to survive. My children's lives are becoming increasingly challenging," she remarked.

 

The townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw are likewise suffering from a serious lack of jobs. In an effort to make ends meet, a large number of males from the Mro, Daingnet, and Chak populations have taken to driving motorbike taxis.

 

A Mro man  from Kaing Gyi hamlet in southern Maungdaw Township described the threats his group faces. "I am unable to go fishing or even to the mountains right now. ARSA terrorist groups are killing civilians, and the result is suffering for all. The residents of Mro need aid. I hope wealthy people and other foreign nations will donate so that other ethnic groups can eat."

 

Social activists in the area claim that the Rakhine ethnic minorities in Ponnagyun Township are not only suffering from a lack of jobs but also from the psychological toll these struggles have taken.

 

Townships including Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, and Mrauk-U are home to the majority of the ethnic minorities of Rakhine, including the Arakanese, Mro, Chak, Khami, and Daingnet.

 

While the precise numbers of each ethnic group are unknown, estimates range from thousands to the hundreds of thousands for some.

 

The northern Buthidaung Township, northern Maungdaw Township, Ponnagyun Township, and Kyauktaw Township are home to the Mro people in Arakan State.

 

The Chairman of the Mro Literary and Culture Association, U Zani Phyu, estimates that as of May 2024, there will be about 40,000 members of the Mro ethnic group.

 

The townships of Ann, Pauktaw, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, and Buthidaung in Arakan State are home to the Khami people.

 

Speaking to Narinjara News in May 2024, a Khami leader stated that the population as a whole is over 100,000.

 

Based on past figures, the Daingnet (also called Thetkama) people live in the townships of Mrauk-U, Minbya, Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, Buthidaung, and Maungdaw. Their population is estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000.