Sunday, June 22, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Human trafficking bust in Bangkok: Burmese children forced to sell flowers to tourists

Posted: 21 Jun 2014 10:49 PM PDT

Anti-human trafficking police have arrested a Burmese man for forcing children from Burma to sell flowers to tourists on Khao San Road in Bangkok.

Maung Miang, 22, was arrested at a rented room in Chana Songkhram sub-district of Phra Nakhon district in Bangkok on Friday morning.

The police were responding to complaints by local people about forced child labour in the area. They surveyed Khao San Road and nearby areas from 8pm Thursday to 2am Friday and found a group of Burmese children.

One of the children identified as A, 8, said he and his two younger sisters had been bought from their mother for 50,000 kyats (US$50) or about 1,800 baht last September. They were forced to sell 25 flowers a day each without any pay and they would be beaten if they failed to reach the target.

Muang Miang confessed that he had bought the three children from Burma and made about 30,000 baht ($1,000) per month from their labour. He claimed he transferred 150,000 kyats ($150) to the children’s mother every month.

This article was originally published in the Bangkok Post on 21 June 2014.

READ MORE: Thailand downgraded in trafficking report; Burma remains on Watch List

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