When it comes to trafficking in women and children, Burma is one of the worst countries. Women and children are trafficked into neighbouring countries like China, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia and South Korea, according to a Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 released yesterday by the US State Department.

The report noted that Burma has a ranking of Tier 3 and it is a country where the government does not fully comply with the minimum standards and is not making significant efforts to prevent trafficking.

Burma has been ranked in Tier 3 for the ninth time in the Trafficking in Persons Report by the US State Department since 2001. The report listed 175 countries on trafficking issues.

Burma is a source country for women, children and men, who are trafficked for forced labour, domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation.

According to the report, Burmese women are trafficked to China for forced marriages and to Malaysia and China for commercial sexual exploitation. Men and women are trafficked to Malaysia and Thailand for forced labour and even Burmese children in Thailand are subjected to conditions of forced labour as hawkers, beggars and for work in small scale industries.

Burmese military and civilian officials remain directly involved in forced labour and unlawful conscription of child soldiers, with reported cases of child soldiers increasing annually, according to the report.

However, the Burmese military junta has been trying to convince the international community that it is making significant efforts to prevent trafficking and there is also effort to protect repatriated victims of cross-border sex trafficking. But there has been very limited protection for victims of forced labour and internal sex trafficking within the Burmese border.