Surapong said that 6,185 Shan, Lahu, Akha, Wa and other ethnic-minority refugees originally from Shan state were affected by the aid cut, meaning they were trapped inside six refugee camps without external support. “Warfare in Shan state, which started in 1996, displaced more than 300,000 people. As a result, the refugees still could not go home and they continue to live a hard life inside the refugee camps without support from the outside world. “I would like to ask for the international community to resume humanitarian aid for these refugees,” he said. “I also ask the Myanmar government to withdraw its army and stop the war, so these refugees can return home.”

Source: The Nation Bangkok December 13, 2017 18:41 UTC