Maungdaw: A significant number of riot police personnel have deserted the force after Burmese authorities used them as forced labour to fence the western Burma border with Bangladesh, said a police official on condition of anonymity.

“A riot policeman Min Thi Ha and another unidentified police personnel deserted their column on Saturday night while it was working on the fencing project in the southern part of Maungdaw Township,” he said.

A number of riot policemen like Min Thi Ha deserted the riot police force recently because of their reluctance to work on fence project as labourers.

“I have heard that many riot police personnel have been forced by senior officials to work at construction sites. They are not getting any extra pay despite working in the construction sites the whole day,” he said.

The riot policemen are being forced to work by the authorities in construction sites. They have to carry stone for the pillars, construct embankments and dig holes to erect the pillars for the fencing.

Though the riot police are being made to work on border fencing they do not receive sufficient food and drinking water, local sources said.

“It is a major problem for the riot police force. Many policemen are frustrated because of the shortage of daily food and water at the construction sites. So some have deserted,” a police source said.

Senior officials have issued an order to all police stations throughout Arakan state to arrest all deserters. According to official sources, there are over 700 riot police personnel currently working on the fencing sites in Maungdaw Township. The police are from two regiments stationed in Maungdaw and Buthidaung.