Rohingya Villagers in Maungdaw Forced into Unpaid Labor by Arakan Army, Families Face Severe Hardship

In northern Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, the Arakan Army (AA) has been compelling 50 people from each Rohingya village under its Sector 5 control to perform unpaid forced labor on a highway construction project. Workers must bring their own food and water, receive no wages, and face verbal abuse if they stop to rest, deepening the suffering of already impoverished families.

Photo Source: Obtained from local resident

Maungdaw, Arakan State

In northern Maungdaw Township, the Arakan Army (AA) is carrying out repairs on the highway connecting the 3-Mile Post Junction with Nga Khu Yea Village and Kyin Chaung Village. As part of this work, every Rohingya village under AA's Sector 5 control has been ordered to supply 50 laborers each for three consecutive days, entirely at the workers' own expense and without any compensation.

Forced Labor in Paung Zar and Hla Baw Zar Villages

Between April 1 and April 15, residents from Paung Zar and Hla Baw Zar villages were coerced into performing heavy manual labor. Tasks included breaking large stones into gravel and loading the material onto trucks. Workers were also forced to dig bomb shelters and trenches around the Kyi Kan Pyin headquarters.

At every work site, laborers were required to bring their own rice, cook their own meals, and supply their own drinking water. The AA provided no food, no water, and no wages.

"We Are Treated Like Modern-Day Slaves"

One worker who had been forced to participate described the conditions:

"Those without money suffer hunger and thirst while doing heavy labor like breaking large rocks. With no food in their stomachs, they lack the strength to work. If they rest because they are weak, they are verbally abused and ordered around by AA soldiers. We are treated like modern-day slaves."

Another laborer recounted the daily routine:

"We leave our homes at 6 a.m. and walk to neighboring villages to provide labor. After doing hard work all day, we are allowed to return home at 6 p.m. We also have to walk back."

More Villages Affected as of April 16

As of April 16, residents from Kyauk Hlet Kar and Mingalar Gyi villages have begun their assigned labor rotation, following the same pattern — departing on foot at 6 a.m. and returning home at 6 p.m. after a full day of unpaid work.

Community Leaders Speak Out

A Rohingya community spokesperson expressed deep anguish over the situation:

"During this revolutionary period, people are already struggling to make ends meet and often cannot even get two regular meals a day. Being forced to provide labor is a huge burden on the people. For the poor who have no men to send and no money to pay, this pushes them who are already in poverty deeper into an abyss, as if casting them into hell."

Human rights observers note that the systematic compulsion of civilian labor without pay, under threat of abuse, raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law.