24 July

Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye met Mr Gao Zhong Ping, Chief Representative of Power China Kunming Engineering Corporation regarding the initial feasibility study in relocating the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kachin State yesterday morning. At the meeting, the Union Minister said that the Chinese government will provide 200 million Yuan for resettlement of IDPs and voluntary return in Kachin State and the Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an agreement on economic and technological cooperation during his visit to Myanmar. 

According to the agreement, 1 million yuan will be spent in conducting initial feasibility study and so Myanmar will cooperate when the survey group arrives in Myanmar.

The people from five townships fled from their homes and so the government set strategic plan to carry out the processes by forming National-Level for Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Closure of IDP Camps. 

The Union Minister expressed words of thanks for the aids provided by the Chinese government. 

The accords received from the sessions of Union Peace Conference–21st Century Panglong prioritized the resettlement of IDPs and such assistance and aid are very supportive for peace processes, the Union Minister added. Afterwards, the Power China Kunming Engineering Corporation discussed that the processes will be carried out by two groups – technological group and cooperative group – and negotiated about the sectors that Myanmar has to provide in their operations. Deputy Minister U Soe Aung, Head of Working Group on Resettling IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) in Kachin State, the Director-General of State Counsellor Office U Kyaw Lwin, Director-General of Social Welfare Department Dr San San Aye and officials from Power China Kunming Engineering Corporation attended the meeting.

MNA (Translated by Khine Thazin Han)