KALADAN NEWS
Dated
A MEETING ON
FORCED LABOR
Buthidaung, April27: The Commander
of military
Operation Commands (MOC)-15
called a meeting with
Maulanas (religious leaders) at Buthidaung in order to
obtain false statements that forced
labor has totally
stopped in the villages now. He
strongly warned the
participants to use the word
‘volunteer helps’ instead
of ‘forced labor’ for any unpaid
labor, according to
our correspondent.
On 12 April, the meeting was attended by 52- Maulanas
from the villages of Kwan Dine, Nan
Yah Goon, Ywet Nyo
Taung,
“In the meeting, the Commander said, “
being religious
leaders people of all starter
respect and obey you.
You have a duty to guide them to the right path. Now
our armed forces are working by
themselves. They are
constructing roads, growing
vegetables working in
paddy fields, and doing all other
seasonal works. We
never use any forced labor as you
are seeing with your
own eyes. As such we want you not
to discredit the
armed forces about forced labor or
human rights
violations. This message be
disseminated among all
other villagers who are unable to
attend this
meeting,” another source said.
According to villagers, forced labor situation has not
changed to a considerable
extent. The villagers of
Tat Min Chaung, Kyauk Pyu Taung,
Let Wai Dad Pa Zun
Chaung, Let Wai
Dak Pyin Shay, Nga Kyi Dauk have to
provide daily 14- men to work in
army battalion Nos.
345, 352, 234, 353, 535, Military Intelligence (MI)
-18 and Tactical Operation Command (TOC) in f
washing, cleaning, cooking and
carrying water,
collecting firewood, gardening and
plantation works
and farmlands. Besides, the
villagers have to provide
forced labor for firewood needed
for brickfields
managed by the Military
Intelligence.
Despite the SPDC’s agreement to an
ILO liaison officer
and the supposed implementation of
order No.1/99,
forced labor still continues in Arakan like other
ethnic nationality areas, specially
in villages that
are closed to military camps.
Editor
Kaladan Press Network
E-mail: [email protected]