Published
Friday, March 14, 2008 - 13:54
Junta-back militia group employs locals without wages
Local people are being used in road construction work without wages by a Kachin militia group, the Rebellion Resistance Force (RRF) backed by Burma's ruling junta in Kachin State in Northern Burma, local sources said.
Local people are being used in road construction work without wages by a Kachin militia group, the Rebellion Resistance Force (RRF) backed by Burma's ruling junta in Kachin State in Northern Burma, local sources said.
Although, hundreds of local people were employed with the promise of reasonable wages in a new horse-road construction project between the military bases of the militia group in Hkawnglang Hpu and near Gi Gi Pass on the Sino-Burma border, most workers were not paid, a resident told KNG today.
The Hkawnglang Hpu is one of the junta's under implementation development projects in Kachin State and the junta's high ranking officials often visit the area every year.
According to a resident near the Hkawnglang Hpu, the road construction is a joint project of the RRF and it was started late last year. They had asked local workers to work on the promise of payment of Kyat 800,000 (est. US $ 727) per mile or Kyat 100,000 (est. US $ 91) per one-eighth of a mile as construction wages.
The construction of the road is mainly aimed at transporting a kind of timber known as the Hong-htu-shar in Chinese name which can be produced the precious oil for medicinal purposes from Hkawnglang areas to China, locals said.
"The construction of the road is very difficult and dangerous because the area is very mountainous. Now, the local workers have gone back home because they did not get any wages as promised," the resident added.
The workers are not only from the areas near the Hkawnglang Hpu but also Nawmung Township, Putao Township and Machyangbaw Township, according to local sources.
The RRF is used to demanding and looting rice from villagers in Laja Ga, Nau Ra Yang and Hkanghti Dum villages near the RRF military headquarters whenever they face shortage of rations, said the sources close to the those villages.
The RRF was formed by a businessman and owner of Myitkyina-based Mali Hka Recording Ah Dang and the group was established with the direct support of the ruling junta with rations, finance and arms in early 2006.
Last year, before the Buddhist monk led Saffron Revolution across the county, over 200 men from RRF were urgently transported to Naypyidaw, the new capital of Burma.
They have not returned to their controlled areas in Putao District, according to local sources close to the RRF.
Although, hundreds of local people were employed with the promise of reasonable wages in a new horse-road construction project between the military bases of the militia group in Hkawnglang Hpu and near Gi Gi Pass on the Sino-Burma border, most workers were not paid, a resident told KNG today.
The Hkawnglang Hpu is one of the junta's under implementation development projects in Kachin State and the junta's high ranking officials often visit the area every year.
According to a resident near the Hkawnglang Hpu, the road construction is a joint project of the RRF and it was started late last year. They had asked local workers to work on the promise of payment of Kyat 800,000 (est. US $ 727) per mile or Kyat 100,000 (est. US $ 91) per one-eighth of a mile as construction wages.
The construction of the road is mainly aimed at transporting a kind of timber known as the Hong-htu-shar in Chinese name which can be produced the precious oil for medicinal purposes from Hkawnglang areas to China, locals said.
"The construction of the road is very difficult and dangerous because the area is very mountainous. Now, the local workers have gone back home because they did not get any wages as promised," the resident added.
The workers are not only from the areas near the Hkawnglang Hpu but also Nawmung Township, Putao Township and Machyangbaw Township, according to local sources.
The RRF is used to demanding and looting rice from villagers in Laja Ga, Nau Ra Yang and Hkanghti Dum villages near the RRF military headquarters whenever they face shortage of rations, said the sources close to the those villages.
The RRF was formed by a businessman and owner of Myitkyina-based Mali Hka Recording Ah Dang and the group was established with the direct support of the ruling junta with rations, finance and arms in early 2006.
Last year, before the Buddhist monk led Saffron Revolution across the county, over 200 men from RRF were urgently transported to Naypyidaw, the new capital of Burma.
They have not returned to their controlled areas in Putao District, according to local sources close to the RRF.
