Burmese Army Exploits Prisoners

When I interviewed 20-year-old Tun Tun Aung (not his real name) he had a bullet wound in his shoulder that had shattered his arm. He was shot escaping the Burmese army early this year, after weeks of service as a front-line porter. The army usually coerces civilians on Burma’s periphery into this work, forcing ethnic villagers to carry military supplies through conflict zones. For major military operations, however, they gather hundreds of convicted prisoners, who are considered more disposable. Many do not return.