Buthidaung, Arakan State: A Buthidaung jailor has been using prison labor for earning extra money by getting work done in the public sector since the beginning of this year, in Buthidaung jail in Arakan State, according to a recently released prisoner who did not want to be named.

The jailor took out prisoners from the jail and used them as laborers for local villagers to grow paddy and do other work at the rate of kyat 1, 500 per day per head while the laborer charge is kyat 2000 per day.  The money went to the jailor's pocket.

There is also racial discrimination from the jailor towards Rohingyas and Rakhines relating to food and work distribution.  Rohingyas receive less food and have to do more work in jail than Rakhine prisoners.

About 500 to 600 prisoners from Butjhidaung jail worked on the Maungdaw- Buthidaung highway when it was destroyed following heavy rain in July 2008. They had to work daily for 15 days to reconstruct the road from 7 am to sunset without sufficient food, said sources.

It is mandatory to work in the prison for the development of the country, the jail authorities told prisoners, said the released prisoner.

The Burmese military junta released 150 prisoners including 20 Rakhines and 15 Burmans from Buthidaung jail on September 23. There are about 1,250 prisoners including Bangladeshis in Buthidaung jail. There are another 1,100 prisoners in jail.  Bangladeshi and political prisoners are excluded from working in the jail.