HumanTrafficking.org | Burma: Government Best Practices

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Burma

Burma Best Practices

Prevention

Domestic

Governmental
The Burmese government sponsors discussion groups, distribution of printed materials, and medial programming. In 2003, the government took some steps to combat trafficking for sexual exploitation, but significant state-sanctioned use of internal forced labor continues, especially by the military.¹

Between 1999 and June 2002, the Myanmar National Committee on Women's Affairs and other NGOs held more than 10 seminars to educate families regarding the dangers of trafficking. In Mon State, eastern Shan State, and Kayin State, these seminars where carried out in cooperation with the UN Interagency Project on Human Trafficking the Mekong Sub-region (UNIAP). In two reports during 2002, the regime highlighted the prevention, repatriation, and prosecution actions taken under the newly formed Working Committee for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons, chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs.

The US Department of State, Education and Cultural Affairs Bureau funded an International Visitor Exchange Program on Trafficking of Women and Children. The program brings current or potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, and other fields to the United States to meet and confer with their professional counterparts. The International Visitor Program partners with national program agencies to design and implement each program to meet specific visitors' interests. Programs typically last three weeks during which visitors gain an overview of programs to prevent trafficking of women and children in Washington, DC followed by related local programs arranged through a country-wide network of Council of International Visitors.

Nongovernmental
On 25-26 May 2003 a National Seminar on Trafficking in Persons, jointly organized by Myanmar National Committee for Women's Affairs, UNICEF, UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) and Save the Children (SC-UK) was held.

Prosecution

Domestic

Governmental
Burma lacks a comprehensive anti-trafficking law, but a combination of statutes against kidnapping and prostitution is used to arrest and prosecution offenders who traffic in persons for sexual exploitation. According to government data, Burma has prosecuted 294 traffickers since July 2002. No information is available on the convictions and sentences for these cases. According to the government, there were no prosecutions relating to forced labor.²

Protection

Domestic

Governmental
The government allows two foreign NGOs and the UN to provide some services and support for repatriation of victims trafficked for sexual exploitation. The Burmese government provides no assistance to victims trafficked internally for forced labor.³

The government continues to provide limited counseling and job training for returning victims trafficked for sexual exploitation. In 2003, the government set up a repatriation center on the Thai-Burmese border and provided reintegration support for victims returning from Thailand and Malaysia . Protection efforts, however, are hampered by a lack of funding. Although the government coordinated a limited number of victim repatriations with international NGOs, it does not provide funding for international or domestic NGOs for victim protective services.⁴

¹ Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2004
² Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2004
³ Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2004
⁴ Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2004