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| Foreign affairs spokesperson Daw Aye Aye Soe (middle) at a press conference in 2016. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy |
By RIK GLAUERT & HTET NAING ZAW
19 January 2017
NAYPYIDAW
The Malaysian “food flotilla” to Arakan State is
set to go ahead after organizers made a formal request to President U Htin Kyaw
and met with the foreign ministry in Rangoon on Wednesday.
The aid plan would likely be permitted after requests were
sent through appropriate official channels, foreign ministry spokesperson Daw
Aye Aye Soe said.
The food flotilla organized by the Malaysian Consultative
Council for Islamic Organization (MAPIM), Putera 1Malaysia Club (KP1M), and
Turkiye Diyanet Vakfi is scheduled to leave Malaysia on Feb. 3.
Representatives of the three groups met with Director
General for International Organizations under the foreign ministry U Kyaw Moe
Tun and Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat
Aye in Rangoon on Wednesday, according to Datok Farid, deputy president of KP1M
and chairman of the food flotilla working committee.
Datok Farid told the Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the group
received verbal clearance, but not written approval, to deliver aid through
Rangoon port.
A request to deliver to Arakan State capital Sittwe was
denied on security grounds, he added.
Malaysia’s Ambassador to Burma Mohd Haniff Abd Rahman was
also present at the meeting.
A delegation of the three organizations also visited Dhaka
and met with Bangladeshi authorities.
The shipment to provide food and medicine for troubled
Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships ruffled government feathers last month after
it reportedly received no communication from either the Malaysian Embassy or
the aid organization.
President’s Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay told The
Irrawaddy that the Burmese navy would warn the ship to return to Malaysia, or
it would turn it back by force.
The foreign ministry released a statement saying that aid
proposals should be sent through proper diplomatic channels and the Ministry of
Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
The ministry outlined that “cash or in-kind assistance are
to be meant for both communities without any distinction,” referring to
Buddhist Arakanese and Muslim Rohingya.