Letters from Reader – Forced Labor Yay Kyi Township

            It was during the time while the storm advisory was issued and the rain was pouring heavily. All the farmers were worried by the surrounding situation and still they were more fearful of the unlawful arrest and abuse of power by the local authority, they had to come up with 50 people per village to work in “Myo Ma” football field as “voluntary laborers”. They came with their own packed meals to work in the field for free without any compensation.

            To raise the fund for this Donation Ceremony, all the local residences from the town and surrounding villages were forced to buy “Donation Ticket” with Kyat 2000 each (US$ 2.00 per ticket).  And furthermore, the local authority asked every household to donate Kyat 10,000 (US$ 10.00) for the event. Some village groups had to come up with teak and bamboo beams to support building materials for the project.

            This so-called “Donation Ceremony” was twisted with the cost of all troubling villagers and residences from the area under the name of State and the local regimes instruments were expecting big rewards from the junta. Right now all the people from all walks of life from Yay Kyi Township were suffering physically, mentally and financially due to this so-called “State sponsored Donation Ceremony”.