Rathidaung: Economic crisis in Arakan State is compelling many women to leave home for eastern Burma to work as day labourers in a company which is seeking employees from Arakan.

“The economic situation in Arakan state has been deteriorating by the year since 1988. This year is the worst, so women are following men in looking for jobs in other parts of Burma,” a teacher in Rathidaung said.

Yuzana, Oil-Palm Company, has offered people from Arakan state work in the oil-palm gardens in Tanintharye division, near the Thailand border. Therefore many unemployed women in Arakan state have left for Tanintharye division to work as day labourers.

” Many young women from the northern part of Rathidaung Township, one of the most neglected areas by the Burmese junta, left their villages for Tanintharye division to work in the oil-palm gardens,” a woman from Rathidaung said.

The company is also providing travel expenses as well as advance money for food to the women from Arakan state to work in the oil palm gardens.

“We have received 30,000 Kyat as salary from the company after joining and it also provides food and traveling expenses. So we are placed comfortably. Many women from across Arakan state left their homes for Tanintharye to work in the oil-palm gardens,” she said.

The Burmese junta has neglected Arakan state, never bothering to build factories and industrial units since the country’s independence in 1948.

“Our state is very rich in natural resources but it is very poor because there is no job opportunity for the people. The government has not built any factory in our state leaving us with no opportunity for work. There are only two job opportunities in Arakan state for young people -- one is joining the Burmese Army and another is becoming rickshaw pullers,” the teacher said.

Many Arakanese youths, both educated and uneducated have left the state for neighbouring countries like Thailand and Malaysia and even for Burma proper seeking jobs.

This year women followed the men. They left Arakan state for other parts of Burma, especially Tanintharye Division to work in the many oil palm gardens as day labourers.

“Women leaving the state have to do with this year’s economic slowdown. Many farmers in Arakan state are also facing severe economic crisis after paddy and rice prices plummeted, ” the teacher added.

This time last year, 100 baskets of paddy cost 200,000 Kyats in Arakan state but this year the same amount of paddy is only 90,000 Kyats. However, the regime has no plan to help the farmers overcome the economic crisis.