by Hafizur Rahman
Maungdaw, Rakhine State | April 5, 2026
Rohingya villagers in northern Maungdaw Township are being forced to carry out road repair work without pay on the route connecting Kyikanpyin and Ngakhura villages, according to local residents.
Residents said each Rohingya village has been ordered to send 50 workers, who must work for three consecutive days while covering their own food and daily expenses. No wages are provided for the labor.
The order was announced during a meeting on April 1, where village leaders were instructed that the damaged road must be repaired. Officials said every village must supply workers, while families without a male worker are required to pay 50,000 kyats.
On April 2, 50 villagers from Paungzar village were transported by truck to the work site near Ngakhura, where repairs have already started. Workers are required to remain at the site for three days, where they sleep and eat while continuing their work.
Local residents said no food, water, or financial support is provided. Workers must arrange and pay for their own meals, leaving those without money in severe difficulty.
“If we don’t have money, we cannot eat, but we still have to work hard all day,” one Rohingya man said.
Another villager said, “We are already struggling to survive, and now we are forced to work without pay. It is very difficult for us.”
A third resident added, “When we try to rest because we are tired or hungry, they shout at us. We feel like we are not treated as human beings.”
Residents said the situation is placing additional pressure on families who are already struggling to meet basic needs.
