Internally displaced people in Miza village, Paletwa Township are subject to compulsory forced labor by Myanmar military soldiers who offer them a small amount of money for carrying military ration and supplies, a displaced person from Pyidaung Village who underwent military forced labor said.

“So far, I have been coerced into serving as a porter for four times. Some people said they have already faced ten times. Soldiers came to our village and forced us to carry heavy loads of ration and supplies. They paid us 4,000 Kyat per day. When we declined to act as their porter, they in turn demanded us to pay 4,000 Kyat. So, we have to work as porters whether we agree or not. 4,000 Kyat per day is not enough for our families,” he continued.

Myanmar soldiers usually took a group of 15 or 20 villagers to carry ration, offering them just a small amount of money for a day long hard labor. When the porters arrived to ration destination, they were ordered to go back home immediately, said villagers who had aslo been forced to serve as porters.

“We carried military ration and supplies from Miza to a military camp near Kintharlin village. We were so scared for our lives on the way, especially at night,” a displaced person said.

Several clashes between Tatmadaw and Arakan Army in Paletwa Township during 2016 had forced villagers from Pyidaung and Kungpyin, located near Myanmar-Bangladesh border, to flee their homes and now they are living in makeshift tents on the outskirts of Miza village.