The Commander of the Military Operation Command of (MOC-15) of Buthidaung Township, Arakan State used forced labor for reaping his own crop, according to our source.
The villagers of Nanragoon and Quandaung village tracts of Buthidaung township of Arakan State had to pay 100 labors daily for reaping the said Commander’s own paddy crop from last October 22 to 27. The two village tracts, about one mile east of Buthidaung town
consisting of 1125 households, said a villager preferring anonymity told our source.

Besides, they had to do other works: such as threshing, carrying, storing the grains in his
granary, put the paddy into heat, etc, source further added.

The aforesaid Commander previously seized 10 acres of farmland from Rohingya villages adjacent to the MOC-15 headquarters and growing paddy with forced labor and now the time of harvest.

According to the order of the aforementioned Commander, one person per family was called by the Village Peace and Development Council Chairmen of both village tracts and gathered them in one suitable place. Afterwards, 100 villagers were picked up and sent to the MOC-15 headquarters for forced labor and the rest were set free after taking Kyats 300/- per head. This money was going to their pockets, said a teacher to our source.

After 6 days of continued forced labor, the villagers were freed and paid Kyats 300/- per head by the MOC-15 Commander while outside labor charge is Kyats 1000/-per day. But, the SPDC authorities have declared that there is no forced labor in Burma, said sources.

For the earnings of army Headquarters, they had previously seized about 750 acres of arable lands include camp area from nearby villages for growing crops. The army authorities again let the villagers to grow paddy on condition that the villagers have to pay 37.5 Tongs of paddy (1 Tong = 14 kg) to the headquarters per acre. But, the villagers are freed from Tans of paddy (1 Tan=35 kg) which are payable to the Government, said our correspondent.

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