Four political prisoners in Arakan State were moved from their home district to a remote prison, notorious for the use of forced labour, said a close associate of the prisoners.

"They are not guilty of creating any problems at the prison of Thandwe and they were serving their jail terms without any trouble in the prison, but the authorities sent them to Buthidaung prison from Thandwe.  The intention is to use them as forced labour," he said.

The Buthidaung prison is located 80 miles north of the Arakan State capital Sittwe, and is notorious in Arakan because many prisoners have been used as forced labour by the authorities at work throughout the area.

"Many prisoners including political prisoners have been widely forced by prison authorities to work at many sites in the township of Buthidaung. I heard most prisoners are working at road construction sites and brick-making fields," he said.

Ko Moe Kyaw, Ko Than Htay, Ko Zaw Min Naing, and Ko Aung Naing Min were moved to Buthidaung from Thandwe prison. It is believed they were moved because the authorities plan to subject them to forced labor.

"They are politicians and they are supporters of the Burmese democracy movement, so authorities want to teach them a lesson in avoiding politics in the future after they are released from prison," the associate said.

The four democracy activists were arrested by police in Taungup on March 27, 2008, while they were on the streets distributing statements issued by the NLD headquarters in Rangoon.

After their arrest, police charged them under Section 451, which covers trespassing in a private home. The Taungup township court sentenced them to one year in prison.

They were first sent to Thandwe to serve their sentence, but authorities shifted them to Buthidaung prison on August 29.

A politician from Buthidaung confirmed that the four arrived in Buthidaung from Sittwe on the evening of August 30on board the Aung Takun ferry ship.