Forced Labour Against The Rohingya Persists in the Aftermath of the June 2012 Communal Violence in North Arakan/Rakhine State

By The Arakan Project • September 13, 2012

The systemic and discriminatory practice of forced labour against the Rohingya, has continued, or even intensified, across large areas of North Arakan/Rakhine State in Burma/Myanmar, since deadly communal violence broke out in June 2012.

In a new report, “Forced labour during the Arakan crisis: An overview of forced labour practices in North Arakan, Burma (June to August 2012)”, the Arakan Project documented how the violence and the current rainy season have greatly impacted on patterns and prevalence of forced labour exacted on the Rohingya. The discriminatory treatment forms a key part of the Myanmar government’s systematic repression of the stateless group, and is a fundamental running sore that strain ethnic tensions in the state.

“Much of the discussion on the plight of the Rohingya has focused on the 1982 Citizenship Law, which renders the Rohingya stateless, but a pernicious element behind the inter-ethnic strife is the discriminatory imposition of forced labour, solely on the Rohingya,” said Chris Lewa, Director of The Arakan Project.

“Law enforcement authorities appear oblivious of the Joint Strategy agreed by the ILO and the Myanmar government as the practice of forced labour is continued as usual, by two main perpetrators, the Army and the NaSaKa (border security forces),” Lewa added, in reference to the Myanmar government’s agreement with the ILO to achieve elimination of forced labour by 2015.

It is noteworthy that there has been a substantive decline in forced labour in areas directly affected by the violence and mass arrests since June 2012, ie. Central and South Maungdaw Township, but the trend is probably related to security issues rather than to any new policy against the use of forced labour.

Indeed, since 10 August, forced labour has restarted with the reconstruction of two model villages, Ba Gone Nah and Nyaung Chaung, partially burnt down during the unrest. Labourers, including many children, received a little more than ½ kg of rice for their work at the end of the day. One of the workers involved told the Arakan Project: “We are not happy at all and we are not working here willingly! But if we refuse this rice, soldiers will beat us. We work here because we have no other option.”

However, in areas not directly affected by the June 2012 violence, ie. North Maungdaw and Buthidaung Township, forced labour remains much the same as in previous years and has even intensified in some areas.

Large contingents of army troops have been deployed after a state of emergency was declared on 10 June. As a result, there was a substantial increase in demands for porters and guides in North Maungdaw and North Buthidaung to carry additional rations or to accompany soldiers on patrol in border areas. Villagers were forced to remain 4 to 5 days at a time in the hills along with army patrols. Large groups of forced labourers have also been summoned for road clearing and emergency camp repair damaged by monsoon rains and forced cultivation in army camps and paddy fields has been reported in many parts of Buthidaung.

International scrutiny of the forced labour situation in North Arakan State has to step up so that the Joint Plan of Action between the Myanmar government and the ILO can help address one of the root causes of the June 2012 conflict, and produce meaningful relief for the Rohingya community.

Click here to download the report.

For more information, please contact

Chris Lewa: +66-89-951 8612 (in Bangkok until Friday 14 Sep – 4.30 pm) or at [email protected]

Tags: Discrimination, Forced Labor, Rohingya, The Arakan Project

This post is in: Press Release

Forced Labour Against The Rohingya Persists in the Aftermath of the June 2012 Communal Violence in North Arakan/Rakhine State

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