APRG Seizes Unapproved MSF Medicines Brought into Rakhine
On April 21, 2025, the Arakan People’s Revolutionary
Government (APRG) temporarily seized a shipment of medicines brought into
Maungdaw Township, Rakhine, by a Bangladeshi national, reportedly on behalf of
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The APRG’s Customs Department stated the
medicine was held due to a lack of prior approval, although the amount was not
large. APRG policy permits humanitarian imports if organizations coordinate
with its Humanitarian and Development Cooperation Office (HDCO).
Criticism was also directed at MSF and other INGOs/NGOs for
historically favoring Muslim communities in Rakhine, especially under Myanmar’s
military regimes. Allegations also link INGOs’ aid supplies, including those
bearing MSF logos, to armed groups operating in the region. The APRG emphasized
the need for equal aid distribution moving forward.
Meanwhile, concerns grow about militant groups in Rohingya
camps in Bangladesh allegedly pressuring refugees to join armed factions by
threatening to withhold humanitarian aid.
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