Pauktaw: Township authorities have forced villagers to work on motor road construction in Pauktaw Township, 20 miles east of Arakan State's capital Sittwe, without payment, reports a villager from the area.

The villager said, "We have not received any wages for the reconstruction despite having to work all day everyday. All our households are working on the road construction on a quota system after the authority allocated the road in several small plots to be worked on by the villagers."

The road is being constructed to connect Taungfu and Thawin Chaung Village a few miles outside of Pauktaw, and many residents from both villages have had to work on the road's construction.

"We heard the government allocated 6 million kyat for the road construction from the state revenue, but township authorities forced us to work on it after they took the money for their own interests," the villager said.

A source close to the township authority said the allocated state funds had been misappropriated by three administers, including Pauktaw Township's chairman and two chairmen from Taungfu and Thawin Chaung Villages.

The villager said there is a rumor the money for the road was taken by township chairman U Kyaw Zaw Hla and village chairman U Aung Tun Win from Taungfu Village for their personal use.

Every household in the two villages has been working on the road construction in twelve-foot lengths as allocated by the authority. The township authority ordered the villagers to complete the road before Burmese army day.

"In two villages, there are over 1,000 households and all villagers are now working at the road construction to be finished before March 2008," he said.

Moreover, the authority forced some residents of other nearby villages to work at breaking the stones needed to pave the road. #

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