Narinjara News
A forced-laboured woman
narrowly escaped the rape from a soldier, the brother hacked the soldier
Dhaka, Nov 24: A woman who is working
at the forced labour camp in Kyauk Phyu
Township narrowly escaped rape from
a SPDC soldier. The brother of the woman attacked the soldier with a machete
and the soldier badly wounded in both arms according to a statement of Arakan League for Democracy (Bangladesh Branch) dated
November 16.
The statement says “On November 7th, Ma Ae
Khaing Sein from Nann Mae Village, Kan Tee Village Collective, Kyauk Phyu
Township been attempted to be raped
by Sergent Myo Aung of the Light Infantry Battalion
(34). This incident occurred at a forced labour camp
of Rangoon-Ann-Kyauk Phyu
highway. Ma Ae Khaing Sein escaped the rape, but her brother was enraged by the
rape attempt and attacked the Sergent. The Sergent was badly wounded on both arms.”
The Joint Secretary of the ALD (Bangladesh Branch), Ko Naing Naing,
explains to Narinjara that “in Arakan
state people are not just being victims of forced labour.
Arakanese women are under the threat from rapes and
assaults. There is no one to investigate and charge these abuses. There is no
one who will raise voice against these abuses on behalf of Arakanese
people. We need to make these abuses known to the world, and that is why we
issue this statement.”
Ko Naing
Naing also explains that the local military authority
continues the forced labour. In Kyauk Phy Township, Kan
Tee, Ownn Taw, Anee Maw,
Mourn Byan, Zorn Khaung and
Lae Daung Village
collectives fall into the areas surrounding the road project and 500 villagers
from these Villages were forced to partake in building the Rangoon-Ann-Kyauk Phyu Highway.
The road is to build across the seas and mashes, it was provisioned to finish
October 25, but this is unable to finish by the deadline. Hence the local
authority gets the local villagers to work for the project to finish by the end
of November.
Arakan League for Democracy (ALD)
demands to stop the forced labour immediately and to
compensate to the family whose members died during the forced labour. #
For further information, please contact Narinjara:
Phone: 880 189 42 55 36, 880 111 39 38 6 (Mobile)
E-mail: narinjar@aitlbd.net