Villagers from Vang Zang track that includes Tlanglo, Tlangpi, Farrawn, Vang Zang and Sopum village in Than Tlang Township are being forced to work on the border road widening that is all of 30 miles long.

Laito, Chairman of Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC), from Than Tlang Township, has ordered five villages in Than Tlang Township to work on the road construction.

The villagers were told to also extend the nine feet wide Than Tlang – Rih Road to 12 feet. The construction work will have to be concluded before the 'Army Day', formerly known as 'Revolutionary Day' of Burma that falls on March 27.

"I have no idea why they are doing this since the present road is wide enough for trucks to pass. So far, there is no vehicular traffic along this road," said a villager from Chin state on condition of anonymity. 

Moreover, the authorities have failed to provide tools and food to villagers who are being subjected to forced labour, said a villager from Chin state. 

A villager wondered how long people would be forced and how long it would take to construct the road that will link Than Tlang via Rih to Farkawn village in Champhai town in Mizoram.

Villagers in Chin state complained that being engaged in Jatropha cultivation and in road construction will affect work on their farms and cultivation would suffer.

"I think we might not get time to slash the trees in farmlands as authorities are engaging us in different kind of work," said a villager from Chin state.

Military authorities in Chin state started construction of a road that would connect Chin state to India with forced labour by villagers in 1996. - KNG