Bangkok, Thailand: The Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) today released a report on forced labour in Burma, looking specifically at the abuse of convict porters in the Northern Karen state. The report is produced based on interviews conducted with a group of 25 convicts since the beginning of 2006.

While convicts have long been a source of uncompensated labour for the SPDC, the use and abuse of convicts have increased massively in recent months as Burma’s military regime intensifies its offensives against the villagers in the Northern Karen State and tries to distract and placate international pressure on its use of villagers for forced labour.

According to the KHRG report “Less Than Human”, several thousand convicts have been brought from prisons all over Burma to be used by the SPDC as porters to carry ammunition for the soldiers on the frontlines and to build roads into remote areas since November 2005.

Quoting the stories of escaped convict porters, the report details the corruption of the SPDC judicial and penal system and the brutal treatment of the porters by SPDC military units, who openly tell the porters they are to be used until they drop dead. Villagers have found trails of bodies of convict porters after the departure of SPDC armed columns, causing hundreds to attempt escape. Some die of exhaustion and beatings, others are shot in the head as soon as they can no longer carry loads. For those who do escape there are few options: trying to go home or escaping to Thailand can both result in their recapture and return to the Army.

KHRG believes that the movement towards a greater use of convict porters is a means used by the SPDC to placate international criticism of its forced labour policies and to secure the military a ready supply of porters as a necessary component of the continued militarisation of Burma. However, as the KHRG report concludes, given the corruption of Burma’s penal system and the brutal torture, mistreatment and killing of convict porters, this practice is an illegitimate response to international criticism of forced labour in Burma.

About KHRG

The Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) was founded in 1992 and documents the situation of villagers and townspeople in rural Burma through their direct testimonies, supported by photographic and other evidence. KHRG operates completely independently and is not affiliated with any political or other organisation. Examples of our work can be seen on the World Wide Web at http://www.khrg.org/, or printed copies may be obtained subject to approval and availability by sending a request to khrg@khrg.org.

For more details of the report, or interviews, please contact KHRG at khrg@khrg.org