Mray Bon: Villagers in some cyclone-affected areas of Arakan State have been forced by local authorities to contribute money for reconstruction of embankments that were destroyed by Cyclone Giri last year, report villager sources. The photo for the story of Villagers Forced to Fund Embankment Construction One source said that the village authority has forced villagers to pay 3,000 kyat for each acre of paddy farm they own in the area. A villager from Taung Rin Village in Kyauk Pru Township said, "Village authorities have collected 3,000 kyat per acre of paddy farm from farmers to reconstruct embankments. We are facing difficulties at the moment with payment, which has been forcibly collected by local authorities." The government failed to provide a budget for the embankment reconstruction in cyclone-affected areas, and local authorities have turned to collecting money from farmers to fund the work. When Cyclone Giri struck the Arakan coast last year,