MYAUNGMYA------After Stay-at-Home order has been issued in Yangon Region, over 1,000 jobless workers from Yangon Region weren’t allowed returning back homes to Ayeyawady Region.
Since yesterday morning, over 1,000 workers from Yangon Region were returning back to their native but they were trapped at the Pantaing checkpoint situated boundary between Yangon and Ayeyawady Regions.
However, authorities temporarily opened the Pantaing checkpoint yesterday evening in accordance with the instruction of Yangon Region Government Committee and plans were underway to send the trapped workers to their relevant townships.
As the workers who were coming from Ayeyawady Region to Yangon already faced difficulties of jobless and debt to pay the hostel fees, they struggled against their livelihood.
That’s why they have been illegally trying to return home since early October.
But the checkpoints between Ayeyawady and Yangon Regions officially allowed the entry of those returnees from Yangon to Ayeyawady region since the beginning of October 9th in accordance with the Regional level COVID-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee.
“We arrived at the checkpoint since yesterday morning. We can’t stay at Yangon region due to jobless problem. We are waiting at the checkpoint because we weren’t allowed going back home. There is no shop near the checkpoint. We can’t drink the water. There are many returnees including pregnant women and children. Even the authorities will allow us, we don’t know what to do,” said Theint Theint Thu who wants to return to Ayeyawady region from Yangon.
“We are now holding the meeting and then we discussed the detail management. Those returnees came from the region which issued the Stay-at-home order. It is difficult. We won’t ignore them. We are going to help them. We already asked the health department. If a decision is made, we will reply,” said Spokesperson Win Htay who is also the electricity, road and industry minister from Ayeyawady Region Government Committee.
The people from Ayeyawady Region are now working in the Yangon Region. Now, most industries have already halted due to COVID-19 outbreak. That’s why they can’t pay the hostel fees as well as they face food difficulty.
Currently, hundreds of workers asked for help from relevant charity organizations aiming to return back home.
