Maungdaw, Arakan State: Officers of Burma’s border security force the Nasaka have forced villagers to build a fence along the bank of the Naf River, according to a village authority in Maungdaw.

Captain Thein Htun Oo, head of the border outpost Camp 14 in Nasaka Sector 6 ordered the head of Shwe Zarr village to provide workers to build the fence, the village authority said.

Construction of the fence began following the November 7 election to replace an earlier one damaged by recent storms.

“Every day Nasaka wants 50 to 100 villagers to work on the fence,” the village authority said, adding that few residents were willing to do the work because of the low wage being offered.

To procure workers, Nasaka began harassing and arresting local villagers, said a day labourer known as Alam.

Village authorities have also stopped issuing travel permits in the area to force people to work on the fence, he added.

Wealthier residents have begun paying the village authorities to protect them from being forced to work for the fence project, a local student said.