200 prisoners work on Kyaukpru–Ann Highway Road in Arakan

Photo: AAPP

Kyaukpru, Arakan State: Locals from Kyaukpru have said that more than 200 prisoners from proper Burma are working on the highway road of Kyaukpru–Ann since October 25.

The authority had planned to finish the highway road within 2009. U Nyunt Sein, Chief Engineer of the Road Transport Department of Kyaukpru led the repair of the 71 mile long road, which is a part of the Kyaukpru-Maayee-Ann road, sources said.

The project work station is situated at Panaytaung labour camp and it is near Padi Island, where the tide water destroys the road. The island has no village only a field, where the village boys play football. The security of prisoners at the site is controlled by engineer U Nyunt Sein with police force, sources said.

The prisoners live there and work from the morning till evening. Their food and proper facilities as per the prison are given to them.

After the visit of Major General Khin Zaw on 22 October, the order to repair the road was issued and thus the project started with the prisoners from Arakan State and local Rohingyas near the highway road. Now the authority has brought prisoners from proper Burma. The authority sometimes gives half wages for work, and sometimes the workers do not get any wages from the authority, a family member of a labourer said.

"The construction and repair of the Arakan State highway started after Sr. General Maung Aye visited Bangladesh. The two countries agreed and signed a MoU for a friendship road between Burma–Bangladesh, which would connect the highway to Komin of China. So, the junta is going to complete the road inside Arakan, where the junta is using minority Rohingya Muslim villagers near the roadside and prisoners from Arakan State and other state of proper Burma, where the junta confiscated farm lands for this road project," a teacher from Maungdaw said.

"Now, we see more high level junta officers visiting Arakan after Sr. General Maung Aye visited Bangladesh, to survey the area of border towns through which, the friendship road will pass. The officers had passed a message through the local officers that the junta is going to develop the border area. On the other hand, the junta will start confiscating farm lands from the Rohingya community and relocate the villages, which will be near the highway and the Rohingya community will face difficulties for their survival. Rohingyas will face more difficulty of movement as the area will be controlled with armed force, where rape of women will increase. For these reasons, the community will leave their homeland and go to Bangladesh as refugees," he added.