IDPs reportedly forced to work as porters by military in Chin State’s Paletwa

11 Jan 2023

DMG Newsroom
11 January 2023, Paletwa, Chin State

Myanmar’s military has reportedly forced some internally displaced people (IDPs) from displacement camps in downtown Paletwa, Chin State, to serve as porters, transporting food rations for troops.

Since January 8, the military has taken some IDPs by trucks and forced them to transport rice sacks from Abaung Thar Village to a hill between Khawe and Hsuepoke villages, IDPs said.

“We had to carry bags of rice from Abaung Thar Village to Khawe Village by motorbike,” said an IDP who did not want to be named for security reasons. “We were also forced to carry rice sacks from Abaung Thar Village to Hsuepoke Hill. We were forced to work as porters for three hours per day.”

He added that though the IDPs do not want to porter for the military, they do so out of fear.

“We feel caught between the military and Arakan Army (AA), and live in fear. We are doing it out of fear for what they will do if we don’t carry bags of rice for junta soldiers,” the unnamed IDP said.

IDPs said the military paid K1,000 for each bag of rice, but the journey was rough and they carried the rice rations with great difficulty. 

“Yes, some IDPs were forced to work as labourers to transport rice sacks. IDPs were reportedly given K10,000 as transportation charges. Around a dozen IDPs were forced to serve as porters today,” a Paletwa resident who declined to be named for security reasons told DMG on Wednesday.

DMG attempted to obtain comment from regime spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun regarding the reports of IDPs being used as porters, but he could not be reached.

After some four months of fighting in Arakan State and neighbouring Paletwa Township, the AA observed an informal ceasefire with the Myanmar military in late November on humanitarian grounds.