“The general administrative office has orders to this effect from the Chief Minister Hung Ngai. We have confirmed that four government employees were forced to work,” said Project Director, Zaukling, CHRO.

Government employees construct government’s guest hotel buildings and work in some compounds in Hakha town. The source said that a person who fails to do duty on a holiday has to pay a fine, which is cut from his or her salary.

A civil servant in Hakha town told Khonumthung News that “We would like to rest on Saturday and do our household chores and other work. But now on Saturdays most government employees find it frustrating.”

Although the International Labour Organisation (ILO) representatives visited Hakha town, Chin state last May and conducted meetings on human rights education with 160 people from various government departments – the police, military and judiciary – forced labour still exists in the state.

Last July, forced labour was witnessed in Hakha town for cleaning bushes in government building areas and those who failed to work had to pay Kyat 3,000 as penalty on the orders of Chief Minster Hung Ngai.

Similarly, the CHRO report said that on 8 August Hakha based LIB 266 military camp forced three high school students to carry military rations and uniforms. Khonumthung news