Hla Phoe Khaung transit camp to house 3,000 people

24 March 2018
Hla Phoe Khaung transit camp to house 3,000 people
A man loads water bucket on his shoulder as workers construct the buildings for returnees at Hla Phoe Khaung transit camp in Maungdaw district, Rakhine State of western Myanmar, 24 January 2017. Photo: Lynn Bo Bo/EPA

This is Hla Phoe Khaung transit camp, which will temporarily accept refugees returning from Bangladesh to Myanmar. It covers 124 acres and has 625 temporary huts. UEHRD estimates it can house about 3,000 people.
Myanmar will take refugees from Bangladesh and house them in two reception centres - Taungpyo Let Wea and Ngakhuya, after checking them. During this process the returnees will be briefly accommodated at Hla Phoe Khaung transit camp. Before the huts are ready for the returnees, they will be temporarily accommodated at the Hla Phoe Khaung transit camp, said the UEHRD vice chairman Dr. Win Myat Aye.
The construction processes shows that the government is implementing three important tasks of the UEHRD.
The government is planning to resettle those returning to Myanmar. The government is arranging to separately relocate some refugees. Hindu refugees will be relocated at Oo Htein, Myoma Ashay, Kyame Chaung, Myo Migyaung, Shwe Zarr, Myo Oo and Maungdaw Four-Mile, and homes for those have been built. 
The government has not yet announced the locations where Bengali refugees will be relocated. The government only announced that they have been building homes in rural areas. Moreover, homes, schools and Buddhist monasteries for national ethnic people - Mro, Thet, Maramagyi, Khami, Dynet_ have been built in Thittonenar Gwasone, Hpawmatak Group, Aungsitpyin Group, as well as Taungpyo Road, Hpawti Taung, Nanttha Taung, Thettainya, Aungthabyay Village, Outpyooma and near Khamauk pier.   
Last year security police posts in Maungdaw in Rakhine State were attacked. Due to the attacks, the government carried out area clearance operations, and a lot of people fled to the Bangladeshi side. 
The government has not disclosed the exact number of refugees who fled to Bangladesh. 
According to an agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh, the Myanmar side must receive the refugees starting from January 13, but till now, no refugees have returned.