After 50 years of economic isolation, observers fearthat Myanmar children might be forced to work beforethey can complete schooling in a booming economy.
The Southeast Asian country, also known as Burma, has one of the worst records for child labor of anycountry. Many children work every day to earn moneyfor their families.
Tun Min is 16 years old. He uses his boat to deliverfish to a market near Yangon. He earns about $8 aday. He hopes his life will one day be better.
“My wish is to become a trader in the fish market. Ineed some money to become a fish trader. Then, Ican earn more money.”
Tun Min left school when he was 12 because hismother was sick and his family needed money.Experts say about twenty percent of children in Myanmar between the agesof 10 and 17 work instead of going to school. They work in factories,tourism and many other businesses. They work in cities and in rural areas.
Foreign investors are helping Myanmar’s economic growth. And with agrowing economy there is an increase in the need for workers. Some rights activists say they are worried that children will be forced to work to help keep the economy strong.
May Win Myint works for the National League for Democracy, the country’sleading political party.
“If we cannot solve this problem, there will not be any development in our country because the children will be the people serving the country in the future. They need to be educated to do that.”
Children younger than age 13 are not permitted to work in shops orfactories in Myanmar. If they do work, they may only do so for up to fourhours a day. But experts say businesses do not obey the law, and the government does not punish them for ignoring it.
Human rights groups and child protection activists want the country to put inplace stronger laws and work harder to keep children in school.
Michael Slingsby works for the UN Development Program.
“I think it should be a priority area, but needs to be combined with positive policies. If you try to ban child labor, there's a danger that you drive it underground and people (will) still continue to work very young, but do it in a less open way.”
At the San Pya fish market in Yangon, Reuters news agency observed girlsand boys as young as nine cleaning fish and loading trucks during the 12-hour long overnight shifts recently.
Hla Myint has a 15-year-old son working at the market. He said, “I don’twant my son to do this kind of hard labor.”
From the bamboo hut close to the river that he called home, he added, “Whatever they say they would do, or give us, it will never reach here.”
I’m Mario Ritter.
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Words in This Story
underground – adv. in or into a place that is hidden or secret; out of theview of the public
