Govt attempt to respond to food shortages in Chin State
17 January 2013: The government of Chin State together with Chin MPs have started conducting surveys on the situation of food scarcity facing villagers.
Pu Lal Maung Cung, an MP for the Chin National Party, said a resolution was passed at the fourth regular session of Chin State Hluttaw assembly to respond to the food shortages caused by low yield of harvest.
The session also agreed to make a proposal for relief assistance to the central government of Burma, non-governmental organizations (NGO), and international non-governmental organizations (INGO), according to the Chin MP from Thantlang.
MPs and ministers are to take a responsibility to provide the results of surveys from their constituencies.
Chin MP Pu Robin was quoted as saying that the regular Hluttaw session didn’t discuss as to when the survey report would be submitted and how action would be taken in direct response to the plight of Chin victims.
Last week, a meeting was held in Thantlang with leaders from various villages in Thantlang Township in an attempt to work out how a survey could be carried out.
Some criticized that Chin MPs and government officials should visit ‘affected’ villages rather than asking them to travel to attend a meeting in towns as they have been struggling for their survivals.
Recently, a local NGO in Thantlang Township reportedly sent out to village leaders a letter of meeting invitation to discuss the food scarcity situation, asking them to be responsible for their own expenses and to bring copies of ‘required’ documents.
It is estimated that at least more than 100 villages across Chin State have been affected by food shortages due to low yields from their recent harvest in the slash-and-burn cultivation.
Reporting by Thawng Zel Thang
