Interview with a Catholic Bishop who is the responsible person for Lukse Camp in Mindat
17 June 2021
In Mindat, Chin State, the negotiated agreement between the military troops and the People’s Defense Force had been annulled and the fighting resumed on May 12. And later the Military Council declared martial law in Mindat on May 13. Since the military troops heavily attacked with lots of their forces, artilleries and military aircrafts in Mindat, more than 8,000 locals had displaced to the safe places.
At present there are 18 IDP Camps for over 8,000 displaced persons in Mindat. We caught up with the Catholic Bishop Nicholas Ghung Thang Se who is the responsible person of Lukse Camp to interview with respect to the difficulties or challenges the displaced persons are facing.
MPM : How about the situations of people living in this Camp?
CB : Some of them had returned homes yesterday and the day before. Particularly, the total number of women and children here is between 100 to 200. Currently, the situation is getting stable. However, such home-returning people came back again after their rice or other dry rations ran out at their homes. Now we also are facing the shortage of rice in this Camp. Around 20 people returned to our camp each day therefore the food supply we have might run out within a month. The difficult thing is the rice cannot be carried from Kyaukhtu even there are the rice-donors. We cannot help them since some routes are being still blocked. For example, two days ago, in Sitpyay village, almost all houses were burnt due to the artillery attack. And the military troops entered the bomb-free houses, destroyed everything inside houses including clothes and throw the rice to be scattered outside of the house. Since it was the battle-zone, the heavy artilleries hit a lot of houses. They do have nothing to eat. For support, we could not go there by car because such village is located in the battle-zone. Nonetheless, they require the emergency help or assistance but we cannot help even until today. Some have returned their homes but some are still living in our Camp.
MPM : We heard the displaced persons are suffering from Diarrhea, Flu and Malaria. Please explain this situation.
CB : Since it is the time of shifting to the rainy season and the people are using the stream water to drink, they have faced such kind of health issues as you mentioned. But there is no serious health issue. The health care is available in Lukse Camp therefore there is no serious health-related cases. There is no death due to the serious illness. I have not noticed the situations in other camps.
MPM : Since the next wave of Covid-19 is now coming and the IDPs are staying in a group within a limited space, are there any worries?
CB : Sure. Since we cannot buy the medicines, there might be the challenges for protection. Thus, we are discussing how to prepare in advance. We have certain experiences how to handle this issue before. We, as a religious institution, had arranged the strategy for the protection against Covid-19. But any specific plan has not yet been made for Camp.
MPM : Here is the shortage of food, medicine, drinking water and other supplies for the displaced persons. Please explain.
CB : Especially in our Mindat township, since our Lukse Camp is a bit far from the highway road, it is a little bit far for the military troops to arrive here and so they usually do not come to us directly. However, Wammathu village and the other nearby villages along the Soon Hill are located by the highway roads heading to Magway Region or Sagaing Region and thus they suffered more severe difficulties. They faced food shortage more severe rather than us. We and the local or international groups are also helping to the possible extent. But the Military Council’s blockage of both routes, including Kyaukhtu route, is the big problem. We are still okay since we have carried and saved rice before blockage. Now the route blockage has passed two or three weeks therefore food provisions might be running out soon.
MPM : What new challenges might the displaced persons face in this coming rainy season? What is the urgent thing which should be supplied?
CB : In my view, if the Magway Region, through the cooperation with International and ICRC, allows, IDP Camps should be built in Magway because it is better than building around Mindat. However, we have still difficulty since this plan is cross-regional-borders project. We discussed that if the camps are allowed to be established near Kyaukthu township, the circumstance might be safer and the accessibility for every kind of assistance will be higher. Since this is the cross-regional-borders project, it is more difficult to implement.
MPM : Do you want to add something?
CB : If the fighting will continue based on the different ideologies, what is the good benefit? Therefore, the Military Council should treat the civilians as their own people, not as their enemy, and on the other hand, our PDFs must plan which is the best way to protect the civilians. If not, how many more times can people flee like this? Therefore, all stakeholders should negotiate to have a better solution.
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KMG