6 Burmese children forced to work as beggars in Malaysia




Tuesday, 20 April 2010 04:34
6 Burmese children who were forced to work as beggars and were arrested and sent to Tanah Merah camp in Kelantan province, Northern Malaysia had contacted and asked for help from Burmese associations based in Thailand.
Kyaw Thu Lin, one of the 6 children, is 12 years old and the son of U Zaw Lin and Daw Aye Mya Sein from Madaya Township, Mandalay division. Kyaw Thu Lin said that, U Mae Lon, a muslin man from Mandalay told him that he can get job at tea shop but brought him to Malaysia and forced him to work as a beggar instead.
"We were made to ask for money at bus stations and traffic lights. We had to beg until we got 100 Ringgit a day. We could usually get at least 70 to 80 Ringgits a day but we would be beaten and we were not given enough food to eat on the days when we got nothing. I had to work as a beggar for at least 3 months before I was arrested by the police and brought to this camp almost 9 months ago. Here we are also not provided with enough food to eat. We are only given dried fish soup. Please save us as soon as possible and let my mother know". He cried.
Aung Ko Win, another 12 year old victim, the son of U Tha Hlaing and Daw Myo Myo Sein from Hlaing Tharyar Town of Yangon division explained "U Atit, a Muslim and his wife Ma Aye Yee told my parents that I could get a job selling newspapers in Yangon and they gave 20,000 Kyats to my mother. When I arrived in Malaysia, I was forced to work as a beggar and forced to make 100 Ringgits daily. I was beaten if I couldn't get the money. My keepers only gave me boiled eggs to eat and we never got enough rice. It's the same here also. Please take us back" he said.
U Myo Naing who is in charge of the foreign relations department of the Association of Burmese in Thailand, a Bangkok based Burmese organization said "We are not organization of many finds but we help where we can with our own contributions. This is a big issue which our small group alone cannot handle but we are a member of the Mae Khong region labour and NGOs network so we will report this to bigger organizations in our network and cooperate with them. We also need the help of other contacts to find the parents of these children" he said.
Among those 6, Min Yu San (14), prisoner No: 53545 from Dhala Township of Yangon division is the eldest. Tin Myo Htet (53329) from Pantanaw, Irrawaddy division, Kyaw Thu Lin (53546) from Madaya Township, Mandalay division. Nay Li Oo (53544) and Aung Ko Win (52679) from Hlaing Tharyar Town of Yangon division are around 12 years old. Ma Aye Mya Htwe the only girl is around 10 years old and is younger than Kyaw Thu Lin but she is his aunt.
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