Burma: Forced labour prisoners escape

This is a follow up to my post Burma: Prisoners forced to work on Akyab-Rangoon Highway

Three prisoners made to work as labourers fled from their workplace on the Akyab-Rangoon Highway road on December 28 at night.

The three prisoners were among 150 prison labourers who were taken from different jails in Arakan State to repair the damaged Akyab-Rangoon highway under Myebon Township on December 15, 16 and 17. They started work on the road on December 20 under a security blanket thrown by the Western command, according to Kaladan News on December 23.

According to the Myebon local people, the escaped prisoners are:-

U Naing Shew (42), Prison register number 371, hailing from Tha Htun Township under Mon State, who served 3 years of his 7-year jail term for a murder;

U Than Htay (37), Prison register number 205 from Pegu Township under Pegu Division, who served 4 years out of 6 years in prison for anti-state activities;

U Ohan Myain (39), Prison register number 220 from Pegu Township under Puge Division who served 4 years of his 6 years jail term for anti-state activities.

The western command ordered the Burm Army to find the prisoners who fled from the camp on the Akyab-Rangoon highway under Myebon Township.

The work of repairing the road has been suspended.

"The security officer police sergeant Chit Htun was called to the western command office to investigate about the case and may be he will be punished for his carelessness," said a source close to the office.

Source: Kaladan Press Network