NLD to donate rice, water pipes to famine victims

Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:10 Phanida

Chiang Mai (Mizzima)––The National League for Democracy (NLD) will donate rice and water pipes to famine victims in villages in four townships in Chin State.

Rat infestations in August 2010 lead to widespread crop destruction and a severe food shortage in about 120 villages in Mindat, Matupi, Paletwa and Kanpetlet townships in southern Chin State.

NLD General-Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi met with Pu Van Lian, the chairman of the NLD (in Chin State), on January 10, and she promised to donate rice to famine victims in Paletwa and Kanpetlet townships.

In the meeting, Pu Van Lian told Suu Kyi that some people in Mindat and Thantlang townships also did not have enough food. NLD leaders are now discussing how much they can help those townships, said Ohn Kyaing, an NLD information committee member.

‘They said there was a water shortage in Falam Township. There is a stream on the mountain about five miles from Falam. So, to get water, they need to lay water pipelines. That’s why they asked us to donate water pipelines’, said Ohn Kyaing.

Pu Van Lian said that water pipes with a diameter of two inches (about 5.08 centimeters) cost about 6 million kyat (about US$ 6,000), according to Ohn Kyaing.

Chin National Party’s chairman Pu Zozam said, ‘I’m very glad to hear that Aung San Suu Kyi will donate rice to the victims. I would like to urge her to donate to us in the future, too. All villages have suffered water shortages’.

The Chin National Party contested in the 2010 election and won a total of nine parliamentary seats .

Last month, Suu Kyi, members of the Committee Representing the People’s Parliament and independent candidates who contested in the recent national elections donated food and shelter valued at 20 million kyat (about US$20,000) to Cyclone Giri victims in Arakan State.

The NLD, with the help of independent donors, businessmen and international organisations, has donated food and money to cyclone Nargis and Giri victims, people living with HIV and political prisoners. In early January, the NLD also organised a trade fair in and the profits will be donated to aid political prisoners and people living with HIV.

“We support many patients who live with HIV, and we will receive more patients in our HIV centre. We have to struggle in order to be able to help people’, Ohn Kyaing told Mizzima.


There are about 130 HIV patients in the NLD’s Thukha Yeikmyone Centre, managed by NLD central committee member Phyu Phyu Thin, in South Dagon Township in Rangoon.