The Khumi Affairs Coordination Committee (KACC) called for polling reinstated in 12 village-tracts in Paletwa Township, located in southern Chin State. The Union Election Commission (UEC) canceled the election in 94 village-tracts in the township on October 27, claiming regional instability. Yet, according to a KACC statement released the following day, in 12 village-tracts around Sami town, it’s peaceful. “Travel is convenient and security is also fine in these 12 village-tracts,” Salai Pein Nang, coordinator for KACC, told Khonumthung News. “I think it would be good if the election commission allows the election in these areas.” KACC wants polling to…
Author: Editor
Even though the World Food Program (WFP) and government have been providing rice to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Paletwa Township, the supplies have now run out, locals say. A man helping the IDPs said that on October 14, the government provided 10 days’ worth of rice rations, and on October 19, the WFP provided four days of rations. The rice from both donations lasted until October 28. “Now they have run out of rice,” the man told Khonumthung News. He added that the WFP had also provided the IDPs with 30,000 kyats (US$23), but that rice was priced out…
Burma’s Vice President 2 Henry Van Thio’s current visit to Chin State will last until after the general election on November 8, a government spokesperson has said. The vice president is checking on the implementation of regional development projects in Hakha and will next go to Thantlang Township, where he is running for re-election to parliament representing the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD). “He is going to Thantlang for his election campaign. I think he will be in Thantlang until the end of the election,” Chin State municipal minister Soe Htet told Khonumthung News. Vice President Henry Van Thio…
The Union Election Commission (UEC) announced the cancelation of the general election in 94 village tracts in Chin State’s Paletwa Township on Tuesday, citing ongoing instability. Lin Kyaw, secretary of the Chin State Election Commission, said voting would only take place in the township’s two towns, Sami and Paletwa, and in one village tract, Shin Letwa. “If we build many polling stations, people will suffer a lot because of regional instability. The parties won’t suffer. Electoral candidates won’t suffer,” he told Khonumthung News. There are a total of 102 village tracts in Paletwa Township’s two constituencies: 45 in Constituency 1…
Nearly 500 households in an internally displaced person camp in Sami, Paletwa Township, are without proper shelter after their bamboo huts were damaged by a termite infestation. “Some houses have already collapsed. Some IDPs are renting bamboo huts from other IDPs in the camp who have taken mercy on them,” Pyi Su, who is helping the Sami IDPs, told Khonumthung News. There are five IDP camps in Sami town, housing a total of 3,388 people from 818 families. The IDPs were displaced by clashes between the Burma Army and the Arakan Army in southern Chin State. The bamboo huts they…
All COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the public hospital in Falam, Chin State. “The final confirmed patient with COVID-19 was discharged from hospital at around 10:00 a.m. today,” Dr. Tluang Cung Thang, head of Falam’s hospital, told Khonumthung News on Wednesday. “Currently, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our hospital.” He added that four patients had received medical treatment for the coronavirus in Falam’s hospital. According to Dr. Tluang Cung Thang, even though these patients have recovered, they must complete an at-home quarantine for seven days. The patients in Falam had returned from Rihkhawdar, a town on…
Khonumthung News recently interviewed Salai Htet Ni, spokesperson for the Chin National Front (CNF), about the state of Burma’s current peace process, the situation on the ground in war-torn Paletwa Township, and the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatory’s expectations for the country’s next government following the general election in November. The CNF has implemented the peace process with both the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the National League for Democracy (NLD) governments. What are the differences in the way these administrations worked? And how do you feel about the current situation regarding the peace process? For peace process…
After a lengthy delay, the first passenger aircraft successfully landed at the brand new Surbung Airport around 10:30 a.m. this Tuesday (October 27) in Falam Township, located in Chin State. “The weather was fine, despite a thin fog,” Soe Htet, spokesperson and Minister of Development, Electricity and Industry for Chin State, told Khonumthung News. The minister explained that an ATR-72 aircraft carried 9 flight staff— including the captain—and 25 passengers from Yangon and Mandalay to the new airport, located 6,000 feet above sea level. After landing, the captain praised the quality of the new airport, Soe Htet said. While the…
Burma’s Union Election Committee (UEC) said it canceled polling for the 2020 general election in over two-thirds of Paletwa Township due to hostilities between Tatmadaw and Arakan Army (AA). But Soe Htet, spokesperson and Minister of Development, Electricity and Industry for Chin State, says the election was stopped in 78.43 percent of the township despite there’s no fighting in 75 percent of it. “It’s unlikely the election will be held in Paletwa Township,” he explained, even though “some areas are peaceful.” The minister told Khonumthung News after this information was reported to the Union government some criticized him. “I believe…
The last COVID-19 patient currently in Tedim hospital, Chin State, was discharged on Friday afternoon. The 24-year-old man was Burma’s 30,723rd confirmed patient with the coronavirus. He was a recent returnee from India. He tested positive on October 13 and was then admitted to the hospital. “No confirmed case of COVID-19 remains in our hospital. There were 18 confirmed cases in Tedim hospital. They have all recovered,” Dr. Zaw Myint Naing, the head of Tedim’s public hospital, told Khonumthung News. Eight people remain in quarantine in Tedim, where they are being monitored for symptoms. Tedim was home to Burma’s first…