Narinjara News
No Forced Labour, Please: The Burmese Border Authority Request the
Local Authorities
Maung Daw,
November 25: Since there have been reports of forced labour
in Maung Daw and Bu Thee Daung Townships by the local authorities, the Burmese
Border Authority Nasaka located in Kyi Gan Byan,
Maung Daw issued a request
to the local authorities of Nasaka to stop the use of
forced labour on 14 November, a town police official
told our correspondent.
The request came after an UNHCR official complained to the Nasaka area No (9) Regional commander, Major Ran Naing Soe. The complaint
outlined that the local military had been exploiting adolescents and students
from the region through forced labour.
The request urged the troops not to use the local population
as forced labour, and if they must use the people for
their labour paying fee, that a photographic record
should be kept of these matters. The local troops must also explain to
other troops passing through their areas, not to make use of forced labour.
Throughout the Arakan state, the
local authority uses civilians to build the barracks, roads, transportation
vehicles (including military hardware), and tilling the military-owned rice
paddies.
It was learnt from local headman that the local Nasaka area No (9), based in