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40 displaced families return to Mali Sut Yang village after 11 years

On 24 April, 40 displaced families resettled in Mali Sut Yang village after living in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp for over 10 years. The IDP are voluntarily returning to their original village, Mali Sut Yang village, which is located in Myitkyina Township in Kachin State. They lived in the KBC IDP camp in Myitkyina town’s Shatapru ward since October 2011.

A male IDP said that more than 200 IDP voluntarily returned to Mali Sut Yang village, which is located on the Myitkyina – Sinbo vehicle road, without receiving sufficient aid for their return home.

“Last year we discussed with KBC officials about returning home. Even though we do not have a house in the village, we voluntarily returned home because we decided to do it,” the male IDP, who requested anonymity, told KNG.

IDPs said that the Humanitarian and Development Department of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC – HDD) provided 500,000 Kyats, rice, cooking oil, salt and onions to each IDP family who returned to Mali Sut Yang village. The IDPs need the financial assistance to help cover the cost of rebuilding their house in the village.

“We will buy plastic sheets and bamboo poles with the money given by KBC. We have to build the bamboo hut ourselves. We have to rebuild our life here again. There is little support for us. Actually, we need aid,” the male IDP told KNG.

U Htawt Shel Lum Hkawng, the head of KBC – HDD, said that 210 people from 40 families returned to Mali Sut Yang village. He said KBC – HDD will try to continue helping them with the reconstruction of their village.

“We already discussed with these IDP about them returning home in 2023. We have a plan to construct houses for them. We will face many challenges and difficulties constructing houses in the village. We will continue to help these people. At the moment, we can not provide assistance to all of the IDPs who return home at the same time but we will prioritize providing aid to the IDPs who have the greatest need,” U Htawt Shel Lum Hkawng told KNG.

Mali Sut Yang village is located about four miles from Myitkyina town. The villagers fled clashes between the Burma army and the Kachin Independence Army in 2011. These villagers have taken shelter in the KBC IDP camp in Shatapru ward in Myitkyina town since 13 October 2011.

Last year, more than 30 IDP families originally from Mali Sut Yang village resettled in Ngwe Pyaw San Pya village through the arrangement of the government.

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