Country: Myanmar

Group: Mon

Date:  11/13/2020

Team: Ann Thomas (lead), Ethan Pelland, Johanna McCombs

Content Warning: forced labor, sexual violence, homicide

Approximate Time Period: 2001-present

The Mon are a group of people living in South-eastern Myanmar. They have been targets of forced labor. After a natural disaster where a cyclone destroyed major parts of the country, the Myanmar military has demanded labor from local villages for the reconstruction effort (Reckinger, 2008). The civilians are threatened with fines if they do not provide the mandated amount of people (Reckinger, 2008). “Few are exempt from their demands, regardless of age, gender or ability” (Woman and Child Rights Project (Southern Burma), 2009). They are taken away from their homes and are not paid for their service. The Mons also have to pay for transportation if they live far away from the work sites, as well as bring their own tools and food (Woman and Child Rights Project (Southern Burma), 2009). These civilians are forced to work on projects such as building roads, bridges, military bases and towns (Reckinger, 2008). In some instances, people are used as human minesweepers to clear the way for soldiers (Reckinger, 2008). The military has been known to harass, rape, abuse, and even kill the civillians (Reckinger, 2008). Being unable to do their own agricultural work, the Mon people have been subject to high food insecurity (Reckinger, 2008).

The data quality for this write up would be considered a 3 because there is a good amount of recent reports and documentation of the forced labor of the Mon in Myanmar.

Sources

  1. Human Rights Watch (2001). Burma Still Using Forced Labor. https://www.hrw.org/news/2001/06/12/burma-still-using-forced-labor#
  2. Reckinger, C. (2008, June 09). Burma’s forced labour. Retrieved from https://www.newstatesman.com/asia/2008/06/forced-labour-burma-work
  3. Win, S. (2016). Exclusive: Abuse and corruption exposed in Myanmar’s prison labor camps. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-prisons/exclusive-abuse-and-corruption-exposed-in-myanmars-prison-labor-camps-idUSKCN11758R
  4. Woman and Child Rights Project (Southern Burma) (2009, March). Mon Women, the Military & Forced Labor in Mon State. (2009, March). The Plight of Women and Children in Burma. Retrieved from https://www.burmalibrary.org/docs07/WCRP2009-03.pdf