Medecins Sans Frontieres’ work was suspended in the state of Rakhine by the Burmese government this week, following a series of protests led by Buddhists against the aid organisation.
Regional government spokesperson Win Myaing told AFP stated the group’s operating license has expired and denied the move was linked to recent protests. However presidential spokesperson, Ye Htut, told the Guardian,
"But in Rakhine state, even the local authority do not fully trust their impartiality in the crisis and that is why we have suspended [operations].
"Any organisation which loses trust from any side will not work … The situation [in Rakhine state] is very tense and very fragile."
The Rakhine state, which houses tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, has been the site of bloody sectarian violence.
MSF slammed the decision as one that will have a “devastating impact”, with the organisation stating,
“Today, for the first time in MSF’s history of operations in the country, HIV/AIDS clinics in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states, as well as Yangon division, were closed and patients were unable to receive the treatment they needed.”
The United States responded to the move by calling on the government to “ensure unfettered access for humanitarian agencies, in accordance with international standards".
The BBC’s John fisher in Yangon reported,
“Aid agencies in Rakhine state face a difficult choice. Keep quiet in a situation some have described as close to apartheid or speak out and risk infuriating the Buddhist majority.”
“Most have opted to keep their heads down, reasoning that their priority is to try and assist the most needy. Medecins Sans Frontieres have not, and consistently raise issues of access and the dire conditions in camps for displaced Rohingya.”
Also see our earlier posts:
Lack of aid worsened Sri Lanka crisis – MSF (13 January 2010)
Hospitals overwhelmed by injured (29 April 2009)
MSF: Civilian situation is ‘desperate and unacceptable’ (04 March 2009)
United Nations agencies pull out of Wanni… (24 September 2008)
MSF expelled from Jaffna (18 October 2006)
Remembering Nagarkovil (28 September 2005)