A group of foreign diplomats were given a government-guided tour of northern Rakhine State today in an effort to show them the “real situation” on the ground.
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi commissioned the trip during her speech to diplomats on September 19, in which she claimed not to know why Rohingya civilians from the area were fleeing the country.
She said a trip to the troubled region would unlock this information, as well as allow diplomats to “learn more from the Muslims who have integrated successfully into the Rakhine State.”
The tour was supposed to happen on September 28, but it was postponed because of bad weather. It finally happened this morning.
Paul Seger, Switzerland’s ambassador to Myanmar, brought his Twitter followers along for the ride, offering a glimpse of the desolate expanse from which half a million people have fled over the last month.
Take a look:
2nd attempt to visit N #Rakhine on #Myanmar Gov sponsored trip. Seems like we’re good 2 go this time. Which footwear will work best? pic.twitter.com/j9mpBU6p4Q
— Paul Seger (@spuchatun) October 2, 2017
Arrived at Sittwe Airport. Big welcoming committee & media. Choppers ready to bring us the #Rakhine villages pic.twitter.com/yXS6dlguYk
— Paul Seger (@spuchatun) October 2, 2017
Maungdaw feels like a ghost town. Such a difference compared to how it looked like when I visited it last year! Many must have left. pic.twitter.com/sWRIgBFs36
— Paul Seger (@spuchatun) October 2, 2017
Everybody’s hot and tired after a long day visiting villages in #Rakhine. pic.twitter.com/iZ6MuTY4CC
— Paul Seger (@spuchatun) October 2, 2017
Police “guards” paddy field in N #Rakhine. In fact, they guarded us diplomats at our trip today. I don’t know from whom, however: Deserted. pic.twitter.com/tL7vHgRimq
— Paul Seger (@spuchatun) October 2, 2017
Government-organized trips to Rakhine are rarely opportunities for journalists or diplomats to delve deeply into the details or the causes of the conflict there.
After the conclusion of today’s tour, Seger told Coconuts via email: “Participating in the trip was a sign of goodwill that we are ready to listen to the position of the government. But the picture obviously still needs to be completed further.”
