Myanmar acting to cut forced labour: ILO

YANGON: The International Labour Organization on Monday said Myanmar appears to have clamped down on its use of forced labour and child soldiers, although complaints continue despite government vows to end the practices.

The army, long accused of grave human rights abuses during almost half a century of junta rule, has issued orders banning troops from impelling civilians to work in conflict zones, the ILO said in a report.

It said this move, among other positive steps by Myanmar's reformist regime, showed "a significant degree of commitment by all parties" to put into place an action plan to end forced labour by 2015.

"The feedback from communities nationwide indicates that the actual incidence of the use of forced labour continues to diminish," the ILO said, adding that communities "are increasingly comfortable with raising incidents directly with the responsible authority".

UN agency said an agreement pledging to prevent the use of child soldiers was working effectively, with 42 under-age recruits released since it was signed into force by Myanmar in June. A total of 46 have been freed since the beginning of the year.

But the ILO said it still received 158 complaints between June 1 and October 11, compared with 148 in the same period a year earlier, including 108 cases of under-age recruitment and 25 of forced labour.

"Despite the introduction of sound policies and the issuance of orders, one can expect that contradictory behaviour will continue to exist on the ground," the report said.

There are believed to be thousands of under-18s in Myanmar's state army and ethnic armed groups, although the exact figure is unknown, while the army has been accused of abuses including rape and forced portering.

Myanmar's quasi-civilian government has moved to shed the country's image for oppression earned under decades of outright army rule, which ended last year.

Dramatic changes include the release of political prisoners and tentative ceasefires with most armed ethnic minority rebels.

The ILO has produced a forced labour information pamphlet in seven Myanmar languages, with more than a million copies distributed by the army, government departments and at seminars since June.