Children in conflict

On global anti-child trafficking day, Mae Tao Clinic on the Thai-Burma border hosted an event called, To stop child trafficking, invest for the children’s future. The event was was attended by as many as 1,000 children from local migrant schools. “This event was held to raise awareness about child trafficking to alert students and migrant workers who attended the event…

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that of the world’s 215 million child labourers, 115 million are involved in hazardous work, including 41 million girls and 74 million boys; 53 million are aged 5-14, and 62 million are aged 15-17. The number of child labourers engaged in hazardous work between the ages of 15-17 is increasing. According to a 2011…

The Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (Burma) said at a ceremony to acknowledge the organization’s 10-years working on the Thai Burma border that they had organized 20,000 birth certificates for children from Burma. Ma Aye Thandar Aung from the statistics department of CPPCR spoke to Karen News. “We’ve provided birth certificates to 21,700 children in 10…

After she finishes her study, Naw Hsa K’Mwee Paw wants to become a medic to help her village. To achieve her dream Naw Hsa K’Mwee Paw has had to pay a high price. Naw Hsa K’Mwee Paw, now 18, has had to live hundreds of miles apart from her family since she was 13 so she could study in a…

S’Aik Klate’s, 9 years old, an ethnic Pwo Karen boy from War Khe Ma Township in Irrawaddy Division, is working at a cold drink shop in the village called “Gayan”. The village is not S’Aik Klate’s hometown, but he came to work there with his father and brother during the summer. The Pwo are one of the two main sub-ethnic…

It is early morning in Wa Su Ko village. It is quiet. Mist from the monsoon rains necklace the surrounding mountains. The small village is located east of the Burma town of Tavoy. A small boy dressed in a big, dirty white shirt and yellow shorts is carrying a traditional Karen bamboo fish basket trap. The boy is returning from…

Burma’s 60 years of ongoing civil war – the world’s longest – has driven what was once a wealthy regional power into one of the poorest countries in the world. Endemic issues face Burma. With over 500,000 internally displaced people (IDP), a general lack of infrastructure, few education opportunities and poor healthcare, the people of Burma face many challenges. Due…