Labourers repair bridge in the midst of junta officer visit

Labourers repair bridge in the midst of junta officer visit
A high level junta officer, Major General Khin Zaw, visited Yawchang Bridge, which was built by forced labourers from Mrauk U and Minbya Townships on October 22, 2008, said sources...

Mrauk U, Arakan State: A high level junta officer, Major General Khin Zaw, visited Yawchang Bridge, which was built by forced labourers from Mrauk U and Minbya Townships on October 22, 2008, said sources.

The bridge is on the highway road of Mrauk U and Minbya and near the Nankyar village tract, which was destroyed by rainfall during the last rainy season.

The people from the village of Mrauk U are engaged in repairing the Mrauk U - Minbya road through Minbow, which was destroyed by rainfall during the last rainy season. The locals have been repairing the road since October 10, 2008, source added.

Beside the road, there are so many villages, that the Rohingya Muslim villagers have to pay for more work force than any other community, said a local from Mrauk U.

Every day, more than 200 villagers have to work on the roadside with their own food.

The Muslim villages are Tarain, Pauktaw and Hlamaa villages, which are most affected as most of the villagers are daily labourers and farmers, said a student from Hlamaa.

"Recently, the junta had rebuilt the road, which is connecting the Akyab to proper Burma. Perhaps it would also be connecting the friendship road of Bangladesh as the junta is now aiming to build the road," a school teacher from Akyab said.

"Most of the high level officers from junta visit frequently to our place and giving speech for development of the border town, Taungbro as a modern town with all facility; but, the junta from other side ordered to confiscate lands for those development from our Rohingya community and will relocate villages when they will build the road for modern town to Maungdaw and friendship road of Bangladesh. It will be push the villagers to flee from the area to Bangladesh for their safety as force labor for development, rape and tight security which will become more restriction of movement, religious persecution like destroying the Mosque and Madarasa," said  a politician from Maungdaw.