20 A NATION LEFT BEHIND New Mon State Party (NMSP) The NMSP has had some success in linking COVID-19 awareness campaign in the NMSP’s with Myanmar government health resources, but control area and distributed medical materials has not yet tested these ties. The organization such as masks. By early May, the NMSP said it reported forming its own committees from the had made a “link” with government hospitals in central to the township level in order to prevent the townships of Mawlamyine and Ye in Mon COVID-19 from spreading in its territory and State and Yephyu in Tanintharyi Region – and that it had transformed a drug rehabilitation would send patients there if they could not care center into a potential care facility.65 Mon for them on their own in their territory. political parties and civil society supported the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) The KIO has formed its own Anti- particularly to service China-backed tissue- COVID-19 Committee to share World Health culture banana plantations in Waingmaw Organization (WHO) guidelines with locals in Township, despite multiple calls from Kachin their territory, including those in IDP camps, political parties and state parliamentarians and has set up a hospital, quarantine center, to put an end to this business during the medical checkpoints, and an Intensive Care pandemic.68 In government-controlled areas Unit, according to a member of its health of Kachin State, Kachin civil society also department.66 The KIO also closed multiple formed its own 12-organization network to checkpoints along the border it shares with spray disinfectant in more than 30 IDP camps, China in early April.67 Meanwhile, the Myanmar distribute hand sanitizer, and launch awareness government has allowed other border crossings efforts in early April, after the government – like the one at Kambaiti – to stay open, failed to do so.69 65 Network Media Group. “NMSP: COVID-19 Response Plan Includes ‘Link’ to Govt Hospitals. 5 May 2020. Available at: http://www.nmg-news.com/2020/05/05/10690 66 Kachin News Group. “EAOs Cautious About Collaboration With Government’s COVID-19 Coordination Committee, Insiders Say.” 12 May 2020. Available at: https://kachinnews.com/2020/05/12/eaos-cautious-about-collaboration-with-govts-covid-19-coordination-committee-insiders-say/ 67 Network Media Group. “To Prevent COVID-19, KIO Closes Border to Outsiders.” 3 April 2020. Available at: http:// www.nmg-news.com/2020/04/03/10445 68 Kachin News Group. “Burma-China Border Remains Open Amid COVID-19 Pandemic.” 26 April 2020. Available at: https://kachinnews.com/2020/03/26/burma-china-border-remains-open-amid-covid-19-pandemic/ 69 Kachin News Group. “Kachin Civil Society Initiates Coronavirus Prevention Measures in IDP Camps.” 11 April 2020. Available at: https://kachinnews.com/2020/04/11/kachin-civil-society-initiates-coronavirus-prevention-measures-in-idp-camps/