Rohingya force labor still use in northern Arakan

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The authorities are still using force labor in northern Arakan- Maungdaw and Buthidaung – where the Rohingya people reside on March 5, said a NGOs worker who didn’t want to mention his name.

“The authorities- Burmese border security force (Nasaka) and General Engineer (GE)- are collecting Rohingya people from the villages where the authorities are repairing the road of Maungdaw-Kyein Chaung.”

“Every day 300 Rohingya people are working on the road without foods and wages. The Rohingya are carrying their foods from their home to work on the road.”

Most of the Rohingya -- day laborers – are collecting by the village administration officer as per the order of authorities to supply the laborers. A village has to supply more than 50 people to work on the road and it is depended on the population of village, said a village administration officer from Maungdaw.

“The authorities are not giving us any wages to pay the laborers who worked on the road. Most of the laborers are day workers and their families depend on their work. If they have to pay force labor, the families become starving.”

Similarly, the Light Infantry Battalions (LIBs) No. 552 is using force labor to build the battalion since last two year nearby Rohingya villagers, said a village administration officer from Buthidaung Township.

“The battalion is situated eastside of Mayu River and established on 1997.”

The army officers order the village admin to supply laborers to work at battalion. The laborers has to work – grass cutting, building road, clearing the compound of residents, carrying water from walls, working on the confiscated land and fences erecting – in the compound of battalion with their own foods. The army officers are not giving any wages to the laborers, said a school teacher from the said area.

“The laborers are Rohingya community who work on their own cultivating fields or daily laborers. Their family depended on their work. The Rohingya force laborers’ families become starving if the Rohingya people are frequently working in the army battalion.” 

The Burmese new government is declaring that no force labor in the country, but the authorities are still using force labor in the ethnic areas and especially in the Rohingya area- northern Arakan- the force labor is going high up now to build road, battalion and authorities compound, said a politician from Maungdaw.

Source : KPN