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Mawta Famine Relief Committee (MFRC), an NGO established by the famine victims in Chin state has released its Press Release No. 2. Kindly read below:

MFRC PRESS RELEASE No. 2

Mawta Famine Relief Committee (MFRC) is formed by the victims of the Mawta famine in Chin State , Myanmar .

This press release and information contains Mawta Famine Relief Committee (MFRC) stance on working together with political activists who have invited them to join them in rehabilitating and helping the famine victims in Western Myanmar Chin State, for immediate publication:

1.      Mawta Famine Relief Committee (MFRC) was formed because of the ongoing ‘Mawta’ famine caused by a rare phenomenon that happens twice in a century in which bamboo flowers in plenty in the area inhabited by bamboo-landers in Chin state, Western Myanmar. This leads to an increase in the population of rats who feast on the bamboo fruits. Once these fruits are consumed and exhausted by the rats, the rodents then invade crops in the field and villages devouring everything, leaving nothing to the farmers for any harvest which is the livelihood for the people. As we all know Burmese government knew this was coming, but did nothing for the farmers. This leads to food scarcity and the subsequent famine. Kids are not able to attend schools, mothers are not able to breastfeed their babies. There are deaths related to this phenomenon directly or indirectly. The World Food Programme (WFP) investigation team came to Chin state to investigate the claims of famine by the victims, but found none as they didn’t go beyond the state capital. Most NGOs based in the the largest Myanmar city Yangon too have dismissed the same claim for the past 2 years. BBC news correspondent came to Indo-Myanmar border and documented the claims of the victims with proper witness. Because of this, MFRC was formed by the victims of this rare famine. They are the people whom BBC news interviewed them in the border. MFRC is a non-political, non-religious, non-racial organization working directly with the famine victims by the famine victims.

2.      MFRC has Headquarters, Sub-headquarters and branch offices, all the workers are non-paid non-salaried who volunteered freely for this cause. They are community leaders, tribal leaders and religious leaders having grassroot volunteers in 177 villages where Village Mawta Famine Boards (VMFB) are formed. VMFB has over 400 volunteered members at present.

3.      MFRC do not have any one mediating between the donors and the beneficiaries. The victims themselves are MFRC leaders and whatever sympathizers give it to the famine victims reach directly through MFRC leaders.

4.      MFRC therefore, maintains high standard of transparency and accountability. All the ongoing works are recorded and any donations made to the victims are given proper receipts besides putting across their own signatures. MFRC has distributed twice rice bags worth Rs.12 lakh. It always welcomes whoever wants to check these financial records.

5.      In order to carry out quick response to the famine victims, MFRC has 9 rice store houses at Indo-Myanmar border, all the workers here as mentioned earlier too are unpaid volunteers.

6.      Since MFRC is a non-governmental organization formed by the people living in Chin state Myanmar itself, they know how to deal with the security situation often made very complicated by the Burmese military government.

7.      MFRC main works are with bamboo-landers – where there is no formal communication, who doesn’t have someone to tell their story. It works directly with suffering people living specially  in Southern Chin State, southern part of Thantlang towship, Paletwa and Matupi townships.

MFRC requests all the sympathizers around the world to kindly continue to shower your love towards these suffering people through us whose organization is formed by the victims itself.

Rev. Victor Ve U
Chairman
MFRC
29/10/2008

MFRC official website: www.mawta.org