Burma: Forced labour

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Mrauk–U Township Municipality, Township Health organization and the United Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) have ordered the Rohingya Muslim community of the town to repair and build the drainage system of township but are not paying any wages, said a schoolteacher from Mrauk-U.

About 100 Rohingya Muslims of Mrauk-U are being called everyday to construct and repair the drainage system of Mrauk-U town since March 20, the same source said.

The Rohingya Muslim villages are: Maung Daratpyrin, Auordat, Parin, Khauk Doke, Paung Tuwa and Shewgutaw, where Parin village has more than 1,000 families. The Parin and Khauk Doke villages are five miles from the Mrauk-U Municipality.

The Mrauk-U Municipality and it partners have collected money from families of Mrauk-U municipal area. A rich family must pay 1,500 Kyat, the middle class has to pay 1,000 Kyat and the lower class or daily worker has to pay 500 Kyat. The collection was done from March 15 to 20, said a local from Mrauk –U.

The collected money was not used on the drainage system and repairing. The municipality and its partners are taking advantage from the villagers of the Rohingya community. The villagers have to bring their own food when they go to work in the municipal area and are not being paid. They have been told that civilians had to work as a "people's force," said a student from Mrauk –U.