Internally displaced people (IDPs) seeking refuge in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, have been forced into unpaid labour for various government departments including: collecting garbage along Kanna Road in Kyauktaw Township, performing cleaning duties at the hospital, and maintaining the grounds of the General Administration Office.
Owing to the ongoing conflict between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Military Council, war-displaced individuals have sought refuge in Kyauktaw for nearly four years. Unfortunately, various obstacles have prevented them from returning to their homes.
An IDP woman who had to visit the hospital twice for cleaning duties told DMG,"The first time I went to the hospital, I had to clean the ward I was placed in. The next time, I was tasked with removing weeds from the hospital yard and cleansing hospital-related-wastes”, an IDP woman who had to visit the hospital twice for cleaning duties told DMG.
"When I was assigned cleaning duties, I had to pick up various types of trash, like used feminine hygiene products and water bottles. Since it's a hospital, the waste was quite diverse”, she added.
IDPs assigned to work in government departments and facilities receive notifications through the IDP camp officials, coordinated by the Township General Administration Office. They are summoned once or twice every month.
IDPs said that while they wanted to decline the unpaid labor, they were coerced into these tasks due to the threat of having their food supply allocations suspended in the camp, if they resisted compliance with these demands.
"In fact, our lives are dictated by the wishes and demands of others. We no longer have a home of our own, so we must live as they dictate, and comply with their requests. We were concerned that even the meagre food rations they provided with might be withheld, so we didn't resist doing whatever was asked of us”, an IDP woman residing in Kawi Yadana Camp in Kyauktaw said.
The Township General Administration Office has already conveyed the requirement for IDPs to volunteer in clearing grass and weeds at the Kyauktaw Cemetery this month.IDPs reported that
they have been compelled to take turns working without pay since the start of this year.
In a rare instance, IDPs mentioned that they received 1500 kyats each when they worked as laborers carrying rehabilitation materials in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha, and that was the only time they received any form of compensation.
"When we are called to volunteer, it is not all the camp residents, but typically around 30 IDPs have to go. Some camps send about 20, while others send around 15. When we had to transport aid supplies after Cyclone Mocha, we were paid 300 kyats for each bag of rice we carried. There was no payment for carrying other items”, A man from the Train Station IDP Camp in Kyauktaw said.
According to IDPs, officials from the Township General Administration Office have assured them that they will relay the issue to state-level authorities to secure compensation for IDPs who have been compelled to volunteer without pay.
"They told us that they would pass the issue up to the state authorities to secure the allowances we should receive, but they cautioned us not to expect guaranteed payment for our work. They mentioned that whether we receive compensation would depend on the mood of their superiors. They even warned that failing to comply with their requests could result in us being asked to leave the camp”, a woman residing in the Train Station IDP Camp told DMG.
DMG attempted to contact Kyauktaw Township Administrator U Kyaw Swar Nyunt regarding claims of IDPs being compelled to volunteer without pay in government departments and facilities, however, no response was received.
IDPs stressed that prolonged stays in IDP camps have negative effects on their livelihood, health, and education, and being forced to volunteer has also taken a toll on their psychological and physical well-being.
