Forced labor crisis: Health workers and teachers sent to cotton fields

Budget sector employees in the western Turkmenistan province of Balkan, including teachers and doctors, were forced to interrupt their vacations and work on trimming and harvesting cotton, reported Azatlyk, the Turkmen section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. "The work is very hard manual labor, and temperatures hovering around 105 degrees Fahrenheit create brutal working conditions," said one of the doctors, who requested anonymity.

According to local media, the authorities' decision to send additional labor to the cotton fields is a consequence of recent criticism from the hakim (equivalent to governor) regarding the situation in the cotton fields.

Harvesting work is delayed, and recently the hakim criticized the administration. After receiving a reprimand from the etrap (equivalent to county), he sent most of the medical personnel and nearly all teachers to the fields," said one of the informants, who requested anonymity.

Other informants claim that public sector employees forced to work in agriculture also work on cotton fields owned by private individuals.

"On Wednesday, around 50 healthcare workers were brought to harvest cotton on 235 acres of fields supposedly owned by an official from the Ministry of Public Security. They were not given food or water. People felt like medieval slaves," reported editors of Azatlyk. Workers were also reportedly deprived of their mobile phones.

We start work in the field at 7 a.m. and work until 7 p.m. They bring us in buses. The temperature exceeds 113°F, but while working, we don't even get water. The one-gallon jars we bring with us last until noon," said one of the doctors, who requested anonymity.

The Balkan province produces the least cotton among Turkmenistan's provinces due to the unfavorable climate. A few years ago, the Turkmenistan government decided to reduce cotton cultivation to increase sugar beet cultivation.

This did not solve the problem of forced labor of public sector employees, who are engaged without pay in cultivating beets, potatoes, and other crops," reported Azatlyk, quoted by PAP.