Women forced to repair army road in Khaw Zar Sub-township

September 18, 2008

HURFOM : On September 11^th, Burmese Army Infantry Battalion No. 31 forced a group of women to rebuild the mile long road that connects Khaw Zar Sub-township with the battalion’s headquarters, report HURFOM sources in the area.

“I saw a total of nine women including a seventy-five year-old lady being forced to repair the army’s road. They were made to carry stone, sand and soil to fix the road. There were no male laborers in the group. A twenty year-old girl who was forced to work said they worked for the day without pay,” Mi Nyo, 28, a witness from Khaw Zar, in Ye Township, southern Mon State, told a HURFOM field reporter.

The road is not sealed, and made only with dirt and stones. Heavy rains during the wet season destroy it every year, and residents of Khaw Zar are forced to make annual repairs.

The incident occurred at that order of Commander Kyaw Myint, who has gained notoriety for subjecting local residents to forced labor. The potential for forced repairs on the road had been mentioned by the commander at the Khaw Zar Peace and Development Council’s monthly meeting, but no official announcement had been made.

“Neither IB No. 31 nor township PDC officially released the announcement for calling forced labour. This group of ladies were forced to work only a day. Last year, we worked near a month repeatedly to finish the reparation,” said Nai A-Not, 50, who worked on the road last year. The lack of official announcement does not, however, mean more forced labor is unlikely, and villagers expect to be conscripted as the rainy season draws to a close over the next few weeks.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News