Overview

International Child Labor Program
US Department of Labor

Report on Labor Practices in Burma

Produced by the Division of Trade Agreement Administration and Technical Cooperation (TAATC)
International Labor Affairs Bureau
U.S. Department of Labor

Pursuant to the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriation Act of 1997 (Pub. L. No. 105-118, Section 568, 111 stat 2429), Congress directed the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to prepare a report on labor practices in Burma. The Committees on Appropriations specifically asked that the report address allegations and details on, among other issues, child labor practices.

The report surveys, analyzes, and summarizes the major allegations concerning labor practices in Burma. It does so by bringing together and evaluating reports from the Department of State, findings from international organizations, reports by non-governmental organizations, information distributed by the Government of Burma (GOB), testimony provided to the Department of Labor (DOL), and information gathered by DOL interviews in Thailand.

Chapter 4 focuses specifically on child labor, concluding that it is a common practice and is associated with a lack of investment in education for primary school age children and with widespread poverty. Individual sections of the chapter deal with forced child labor, child soldiers, and child trafficking. Lastly, the chapter also gives a profile of the Burmese education system. 1998.

Read the Report