Dated: Monday, December, 8, 2003
DA BYU CHAUNG � PALAY DAUNG ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITH FORCED LABOR
Buthidaung, December 08: A 16 kilometers long road from Da Byu Chaung to Palay Daung is being under constructed in Buthidaung Township, Arakan State with forced labour of villagers, according to our correspondent.
The road is being constructed from Da Byu Chaung Military Operation Command (MOC)-15 to Palay Daung Battalion No.535 through the Krama Taung, San Nyin Way, Mori Chaung villages of Buthidaung Township. The neighboring villagers have to pay about 200 forced labors daily for construction of road, he further said.
Some soldiers from Krama Taung Battalion and Palay Daung Battalion No.535 have also participated in road construction. This road is 18 feet wide and was previously constructed with forced labor later on it was destroyed by rain, said a villager who was once participated in forced labor.
Qyuan Daung village Tract of Buthidaung Township has to pay 20 labours daily to the Battalion No.565 for their construction works. Another Palay Daung village Tract of Buthidaung Township has also to pay forced labors for construction works of Battalion No. 535. The laborers have to cut bamboos and pillars from the deep forest and have to carry it to the army Battalion, he further added.
For the Military Operation Command (MOC)-15 of Buthidaung Township, the nearby villages have to pay labors daily, but they have been paid Kyat 500/- per head daily while outside labor is Kyat 1,000 per day, said another man to our source.
But the SPDC authorities have declared, �There is no forced labor across the country.� ##
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