Displaced Karen people request aid from Norway’s deputy FM

Internally displaced Karen people from the Kyauk Kyi area, requested Norway’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Torgeir Larsen to help them get food and the freedom to earn their living.

Torgeir Larsen, Immigration Minister, Khin Yee and the Karen National Union’s, Colonel U Htoo Htoo Lay met with representatives of the displaced people for two hours at the KNU liaison office in Kyauk Kyi Town.

A displaced villager, Saw Hla Tin Mu explained to Karen News why the made the request for aid from the Norwegian deputy foreign minister.

“Our plantations are not producing enough food as before because of the floods last year. We badly need food until we can start producing a good harvest.”

At the meeting, the Deputy Foreign Minister, Torgeir Larsen said that aid to help rehabilitate displaced people in the area would amount to around of US$5 million.

At the meeting, government officials issued identity cards to 36 displaced people to allow them be to travel in and out of the country.

The displace people’s representative at the meeting said that there are over 1,500 people in the area who still need to get official government ID cards.

Last month the KNU opened three liaisons offices in Kyauk Kyi Town to help monitor the ongoing peace process between the government and the KNU.