Child Trafficking Fears for Myanmar

UNICEF warns of child trafficking as Myanmar opens up to the world.

Published

10 months ago

Categories

World, Asia/Pacific, Southeast Asia

Places

Myanmar, Yangon

Tags

unicef

Transcript

Children scavenge on the streets of Yangon, trying to earn a little money. In Myanmar, more than 30 percent of people live below the poverty line. For families in need of financial support, children are often left alone as they cannot afford school fees. Children's organisation UNICEF has now warned that as Myanmar opens up to the world, those vulnerable youngsters are at risk from trafficking. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RAMESH SHRESTHA, REPRESENTATIVE OF UNITED NATION CHILDREN'S FUND SAYING: "If government opens up as it said democratically, then obviously it opens up for everything that would means the existing bad control of the situation might be loosen up. That would mean people would do what they want to do. This could be legal or illegal, all these things could happen. There are many risks." The Rattana Metta drop-in centre helps children learn about being wary of strangers. UNICEF says that a proper education is needed to teach kids how to deal with a changing country. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RAMESH SHRESTHA, REPRESENTATIVE OF UNITED NATION CHILDREN'S FUND SAYING: "Children are (should be) given proper education, so they (should) go to school. So they don't go on the street for begging and other things and then younger people at the age of 14-15 they need to be made somehow economically independent." The U.S. government estimates that thousands of children in Myanmar and neighbouring countries have been forced into work. Sarah Charlton, Reuters.