Pajau Media
22nd October, 2024
When the Internet was cut off in Kachin State, the Myanmar Passport Issuing Branch in Myitkyina has continued to offer services to individuals who have received an Online Appointment Date for processing their international passports, at the branches located in Yangon and Mandalay.
A resident who experienced financial hardship stated that due to the internet being disconnected in Kachin State, he utilized online services to schedule a passport appointment in Mandalay. When the date for the online appointment arrived, he traveled to Mandalay by air. As a young individual, he felt apprehensive about taking a bus, as there are numerous checkpoints and potential arrests along the route. The price of a round-trip flight ticket from Myitkyina to Mandalay is 900,000 kyats. Additionally, the transportation fees for a round trip from Mohnyin to Myitkyina amount to 100,000 kyats. Due to an internet outage in Kachin State, it is not possible to obtain smart cards in Mohnyin. Consequently, I must travel to Mandalay to acquire the smart card, for which I have been charged a border fee of 200,000 kyats, as the card was issued in a different region. It required six days to obtain a smart card. During this period, I incurred significant expenses for food and accommodation. After fourteen days, it was announced that passport services would no longer be available in Mandalay. Consequently, I returned to Mohnyin without a passport.
A passport manufacturer from Hpakant Township stated that “I traveled to Mandalay to obtain a passport. However, I was informed that my household registration document was outdated and not the original version, which resulted in my inability to proceed with the passport application. Consequently, I had to travel from Mandalay to Yangon to complete the passport process. Upon my arrival in Yangon, I found myself waiting in a lengthy queue for an entire week, incurring expenses for my meals during this time. Just as I was nearing the front of the line, I was informed that the issuance would cease after October 14th. Consequently, I had to return to Myitkyina without obtaining my passport. This entire ordeal lasted approximately ten days and cost me 25 lakhs.”
Some individuals are expressing a desire for peace to be achieved promptly, as the disruption of internet and highway access has led to significant hardships for the population.
As a result of the conflicts occurring along the Myitkyina-Mandalay highway, the road has been closed, forcing travelers utilizing the ring road to endure a three-night journey from Myitkyina to Mandalay. Additionally, individuals were instructed to kneel at certain checkpoints of the SAC.
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