The Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) is forcing carpenters to build a high school in Sub Khawza Township southern Mon State, Burma.

U Kyaw Moe, chairman of TPDC in Khawza divided carpenters into three groups to build the high school in rotation. Each group has about 7 to 8 people. Nai Plaing, Nai San Win, and Nai Ong are heading the carpenters.

"We have to build the high school on orders from the TPDC. The authorities have not paid the cost of construction. We have to bring the materials and food," a carpenter said.

The carpenter said that each group was forcibly sent to build the school and have to be at the construction site twice a week. So far they have made the windows and the ceiling of the school.

Even though they have to work in rotation to build the school, U Kyaw Moe ordered all the groups to come to the local hospital between August 14 and 16 to decorate the ceiling before high ranking officials visit Khawza.

The authorities started building the high school in 2004 in Khawza. About 18 villages in Khawza Sub Township have only this high school and a middle school. Khawza village upgraded a Sub-Township in 2003.

After the authorities started building the school, they persuaded students to join from the Mon National School controlled by the New Mon State Party, the ethnic armed ceasefire group which signed a pact with the Burmese regime in 1995.