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ILO presses for end to forced labour in Myanmar

A man in Myanmar's cyclone affected Ayeyarwady Delta. More than one year on, huge humanitarian challenges remain Stacey Winston/ECHO
    BANGKOK

    The UN International Labour Organization (ILO) has urged the Myanmar government to end forced labour.

     

    The government, working with ILO, has set up a complaints mechanism, whereby people can report forced labour violations, but now needs to work toward eliminating the practice, said Steve Marshall of ILO in Myanmar.

     

    “There has been progress, there’s no question,” Marshall told IRIN by telephone from Geneva, where he presented his assessment of forced labour in Myanmar to the ILO’s annual conference. “In terms of elimination of forced labour, which is the objective, there is still a considerable way to go,” he said, adding that “rather than responding to complaints – as a sort of medical treatment – there needs to be a cure.

     

    “We still have six people still in prison because of the complaints mechanism. It’s very important to work with government toward their release,” he said. He pressed the government to focus on building awareness about forced labour, and setting up an economic solution to provide appropriate remuneration for labourers.

     

    at/mw

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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