A social organization from Indonesia is building a hospital in Myauk-U, an ancient city in Rakhine State
14 June – The Indonesian Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (Mer-C), a non-profit organization focused on providing emergency medicine to those who suffer from violent conflict and natural disasters, is collaborating with the Indonesian Buddhist Representatives (Walubi) to build a hospital in Myanmar’s ancient city of Myauk-U.
Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has welcomed the plan which will be executed with the support of the Rakhine State Government.
“The hospital will be built through a collaboration between Muslims and Buddhists of Indonesia. The vice president has appreciated the plan, and there will be a meeting with Walubi to discuss technical issues,” says the Chairman of the Presidium of Mer-C, Dr. Sarbini Abdul Murab, according to ANTARA News.
Mer-C has already acquired a plot of land in Myauk-U for the project, and the construction is estimated to cost nearly 20-30 billion Indonesian rupees .
If the construction is successful, the hospital will serve as a powerful symbol that people of different ethnicities and religion can work together for peace. Rakhine State is well-known for its tension and strife between Muslims and Buddhists. In spring of 2015, Myanmar’s neighboring countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand reportedly received thousands of Bengali Muslims refugees who fled violence via the Bengal Sea.
