Trafficking in Persons Report 2013: Burma

By US Department of State • June 19, 2013

Burma is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor, and for women and children subjected to sex trafficking in other countries. Many Burmese men, women, and children who migrate for work to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the United States, China, Bangladesh, India, South Korea, and Qatar are subjected to conditions of forced labor or sex trafficking in these countries. Poor economic conditions within Burma have led large numbers of Burmese men, women, and children to migrate legally and illegally throughout East Asia and to destinations in the Middle East, where many are subject to forced labor and sex trafficking. Men are subjected to forced labor in the fishing and construction industries abroad, where women and girls are also subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude. The government is beginning to address the systemic political and economic factors that cause many Burmese to seek employment through both legal and illegal means in neighboring countries, where some become victims of trafficking. Trafficking within Burma both by government officials and private actors continues to be a significant problem. Military personnel and insurgent militia engage in the unlawful conscription of child soldiers and continue to be the leading perpetrators of forced labor inside the country, particularly in conflict-prone ethnic areas.

Download the chapter on Burma here.

Download the full report here.