Fighting needs to stop in Kachin State in order to send IDPs back to their homes and continuation of battles will cause the public to lose trust for those organizing for the IDPs to return home, said Zaw Htay, Spokesperson of President Office in a press conference held at National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) on July 9.

A team led by Soe Win, Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and the Kachin Humanitarian Concern Committee (KHCC) met once a month to discuss about the relocation of the IDP camp. 

There will be further complications if relocation process of the IDPs is not successful, he said.

“When we send back the IDPs to their homes, the fights need to stop on their land. If more fighting occurs, it will trouble the locals. It will make the public distrust the government and the KHCC,” said Zaw Htay.

“It is the reason we are trying to have bilateral agreement with Kachin Independence Army (KIA). We need to stop the fighting to continue the relocation process of the IDPs. We are taking into consideration about it,” he said.

The ministry drafted IDP return strategy with international analysts and will draw action plan each for Kayin and Kachin states for the IDPs to return home, he added.

The government, army, KIA and KHCC will join hands to implement the action plan and they will review the advantages and disadvantages to have better action plan, he continued.

The authorities need to arrange for the IDPs to have their living and if they don’t, there will be problems. They need many steps to implement the resettlement of the IDPs, he said.