• Burmese
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
28 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

Rohingya IDPs Urged to Evacuate Ahead of Cyclone

The Irrawaddy by The Irrawaddy
May 15, 2013
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Rohingya IDPs Urged to Evacuate Ahead of Cyclone

Minister Aung Min addresses an audience of diplomatic officials

2.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RANGOON—The day before the expected landfall of a tropical storm on Burma’s west coast, the government has warned that it will take serious action against anyone who refuses to evacuate to higher ground.

The warning, made by Union Minister Aung Min on Wednesday, came after reports that displaced Rohingya Muslims in west Burma’s Arakan State had refused to leave their camps as Cyclone Mahasen approaches.

“According to the natural disaster management law, anyone who doesn’t follow the government’s arrangement to move to a safer place can be punished,” he told diplomats, NGO workers and reporters at a media briefing in Rangoon. “It’s just for humanitarian concerns.

RelatedPosts

Myanmar Junta Moves into Nawnghkio Outskirts

Myanmar Junta Moves into Nawnghkio Outskirts

July 15, 2025
74
What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

July 15, 2025
95
Myanmar and Russian Regimes Push Indian Trade Corridor to Bypass Western Sanctions

Myanmar and Russian Regimes Push Indian Trade Corridor to Bypass Western Sanctions

July 15, 2025
103

“We can’t avoid natural disasters, but we are responsible to tackle them so they have minimum impact,” he added, as the most senior government official to brief the media thus far on efforts to prepare for the cyclone.

International and government weather reports said the cyclone would likely cross Bangladesh and Burma’s west coast on Thursday evening, with winds reaching speeds of up to 120 miles per hour and storm surges expected in low-lying areas.

In Arakan State, the most disaster-prone areas include Maungtaw Township and the state capital Sittwe, as well as other townships in low-lying regions, with 160,000 possible storm victims, according to the government.

Especially vulnerable are the tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) currently living in camps in the state’s flood-prone and low-lying regions. The IDPs—mostly minority Rohingya Muslims—were displaced during sectarian clashes between majority Buddhist communities and minority Muslims last year.

“Their first concern is for their security,” Ye Htut, the deputy minister of information, said of the Rohingya IDPs during the press conference. “Their next worry is about having access to their old places.”

Aid workers say the Rohingya, who are denied citizenship in Burma and widely seen as illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh, have faced restricted movement and poor conditions in the IDP camps. Many were forced from their homes after their communities were burned down during the clashes last year.

Ye Htut said the Rohingya had been evacuated to an army barracks but would be allowed to return to their “former homes” after the storm. It was not clear whether he was referring to the IDP camps or their old hometowns.

“This time it’s very important not to lose more than 100,000 lives, as we did during Cyclone Nargis,” he added, referring to the storm that hit the country’s delta region five years ago.

He added that two national-level committees had been formed ahead of Mahasen on President Thein Sein’s orders to prepare for the storm and carry our relief efforts.

“So far we have evacuated 27,341 Bengalis,” Aung Min said, using the government’s term for the Rohingya.

During a coordination meeting in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, Thein Sein urged officials to carry out relief efforts without racial and religious discrimination, the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported.

Speaking after the media briefing in Rangoon on Wednesday, the US Ambassador to Burma Derek Mitchell encouraged the Burmese government to reassure Rohignya communities that aid would be distributed evenly.

“Explain to them what the plan will be not just before, but also after the storm, so that they know that security will be provided to them, that they will have voluntary ability to return, and that there will be justice served for them so that they feel now they can trust the movement,” he said. “There needs to be, I think, more in terms of that vision being created for them to feel fully comfortable and to get out of harm’s way.”

Mitchell said he appreciated the Burmese government’s efforts to brief members of the international community about the cyclone, and he called for continued transparency on the ground in Arakan State.

“It would be very useful on the ground, with your vice president there and others, to have daily briefings like this, so we and everybody else can hear the situation as it evolves before the storm, during the storm and after the storm so we can continually get the information back to our capitals,” he said, adding that the United States was working in Arakan State with other members of the international community including the United Nations, the European Union and other Southeast Asian countries.

After Cyclone Nargis hit in 2008, relief efforts were severely slowed because the former military regime initially refused to accept international aid.

“I want to commend this particular effort of you all for coming in front of the international community and the media, your people and us,” Mitchell said.

Burma’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assigned an officer to coordinate with international aid workers in Arakan State and has also set up an email account to answer questions about the cyclone.

“We’ve already have a focal contact if the international community want to communicate for rehabilitation process,” Thant Kyaw, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, said on Wednesday.

Your Thoughts …
The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy

...

Similar Picks:

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang
Burma

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang

by Hein Htoo Zan
November 28, 2023
98.5k

Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army troops are opening roads and pathways through forests for people to flee Kokang’s capital as...

Read moreDetails
Burning Alive in Myanmar: Two Resistance Fighters Executed in Public
Burma

Burning Alive in Myanmar: Two Resistance Fighters Executed in Public

by The Irrawaddy
February 7, 2024
89.9k

People’s Defense Force says junta troops told every household in the village to send one member to witness the double...

Read moreDetails
Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State
War Against the Junta

Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State

by The Irrawaddy
November 29, 2023
87.1k

Brotherhood Alliance member says it now has complete control of Kokang’s northernmost section after the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 125...

Read moreDetails
Depleted Myanmar Military Urges Deserters to Return to Barracks
Burma

Depleted Myanmar Military Urges Deserters to Return to Barracks

by The Irrawaddy
December 4, 2023
59k

The junta said deserters would not be punished for minor crimes, highlighting the military’s shortage of troops as resistance offensives...

Read moreDetails
As Myanmar’s Military Stumbles, a Top General’s Dissapearance Fuels Intrigue
Burma

As Myanmar’s Military Stumbles, a Top General’s Dissapearance Fuels Intrigue

by The Irrawaddy
April 19, 2024
47k

The junta’s No. 2 has not been seen in public since April 3, sparking rumors that he was either gravely...

Read moreDetails
Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow
Burma

Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow

by The Irrawaddy
February 12, 2024
44.8k

Ethnic armed grouping says it will continue Operation 1027 offensive until goal of ousting the junta is achieved. 

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Humanitarian Disaster Looms in Arakan State

Humanitarian Disaster Looms in Arakan State, As Storm Evacuation Plans Stall

Arctic States Open Council to China

Arctic States Open Council to China, India and South Korea

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

6 days ago
1.3k
China’s Surveillance State Watches Everyone, Everywhere

China’s Surveillance State Watches Everyone, Everywhere

1 week ago
1.1k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta’s ‘Living Fence’ on Thai Border Falls to Karen Resistance

    Myanmar Junta’s ‘Living Fence’ on Thai Border Falls to Karen Resistance

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Launches Space Agency With Russian Help

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • TNLA Invites Investment in Ruby and Mineral Towns Amid Myanmar Junta Onslaught

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • ‘Las Vegas in Laos’: the Riverside City Awash With Crime

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Two Myanmar Migrants Still Languish in Thai Jail Over Min Aung Hlaing Protest

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.