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Shock and horror: one million child labour slaves in Lanka
Friday, 21 July 2006 - 7:21 AM SL Time
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Sri Lanka has almost one million children enslaved in child labour, despite being a signatory to the International Convention on Child Labour, Hambantota District UPFA MP Nirupama Rajapaksa said in Parliament yesterday.
Quoting Labour Ministry statistics Ms. Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka had an estimated 926,038 children between 5 and 17 years of age, subject to child labour, which amounts to 21 per cent of all the children in that age group.
?Almost 10 to 12 per cent of these children work in hazardous conditions, such as in mines, with chemicals and pesticides or with dangerous machinery? she said, speaking during the debate on the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Bill, which was passed yesterday.
Ms. Rajapaksa said these figures do not take into account the numbers of children being used in the intimacy trade for child pornography or prostitution.
?Approximately 19,000 children, mostly girls, work as domestic servants and unpaid household help and are especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Many work under horrific circumstances, being forced to carry out heavy work well beyond their capacity?, she said.
She said the new law would address areas of child abuse that have plagued the country for decades, namely, the use of children and young persons for prostitution, pornography and in illicit or hazardous activities.
?It is needless to point out that there are some extreme forms of practices of child labour in Sri Lanka that no person or government could dismiss as a mere inevitable consequence of poverty?, she said, adding that child labour denies a child education which affects the mental development and consequently the development of the nation.
She said the Labour Ministry was presently compiling a list of ?hazardous work? for children, in accordance to the International Labour Organization Convention signed in 1999.
The list includes intimacyual abuse, work in mines, quarries, on heights or confined spaces, work with dangerous machinery or with heavy loads, and work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.
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AnuD
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21 Jul 2006 00:27:02 GMT Report for Abuse
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Snap
Edited By - AnuD - 21 Jul 2006 01:33:58 GMT |
Bheesan
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21 Jul 2006 00:57:57 GMT Report for Abuse
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| What is so fuss about one million slaves? We have been slaves for whole of our history. We were paddy field slaves, we were cinnamon estates slaves, we coconut estate slaves, we were rubber plantation slaves, we were tea plantation slaves. We were born slaves. That is why most of the sri Lankans have big egos now. They have forgoten their slave past. |
Vishnu
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21 Jul 2006 02:35:28 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Well Bheesan, I don't who you refer to as WE. Remember many Sri Lankans refused to become slaves in estates under Suddha's rule. That in turn gave opportunity to certain people to do the slave work from top to the bottom under Sudda. Not that I'm accusing anyone, they still do, and you must be referring to them. |
WebSurfer
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21 Jul 2006 03:08:12 GMT Report for Abuse
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I can't believe this!, I knew the country was in a poor shape, but it's a shock to hear that it's that bad!
The Sri Lankan government better come up with something. A true government should do the following:
1. Allow more media freedom in the country. So the press has more freedom to write articles which are not sponsered by the government or other group. So the people of the country really know what's going on, instead of living with propaganda beliefs of the government or other groups.
2. Make Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims feel proud to be Sri Lankan. Government should do more to make people feel Sri Lankan and speak in terms of Sri Lankans instead of their ethnicity. This will lessen the tensions amoung these groups in the country. Without tensions it's far easier to get along, and when you get along you have more friends and people to can count on. This is better than to count on your 10 year old children to survive.
3. Drastically change the education system. Children must go to school till they are like 16 or so, and the government better spend their money on this instead of weapons and buying houses for their ex-presidents with people's money.
4. Fight corruption even more than right now. There are too many corrupt politicians and powerful people in Sri Lanka, and I think some of them might even have children who work illegally for low or no salary.
Edited By - WebSurfer - 21 Jul 2006 03:12:33 GMT |
Bheesan
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21 Jul 2006 03:16:27 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Yes I pity the plight of the tea plantation workers. Now only they are called slaves. But Suddha brought many people to work here in all plantations, thanks to suddha others have climb up in the ladder now. Tea plantation workers also must be given the same social status. |
sonick
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21 Jul 2006 04:11:21 GMT Report for Abuse
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| I am glad at least government did some research to figure out how bad this problem is. Now what are they going to do about it. I think there should be a strictly enforced mandatory prison sentence for anyone caught employing kids. |
Berty
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21 Jul 2006 04:43:53 GMT Report for Abuse
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This is really Shocking!!
They should charge the employers with hefty fines and prison terms with hard labor!!
These Children need help!!
The root of the problem is corrupted law enforcing officers!!
If they are bribed the employer will never be brought to justice!! |
GamaRaala
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21 Jul 2006 04:44:38 GMT Report for Abuse
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GOSL has to be commended for taking steps to eliminate child labour. For, that matter, unlike the LTTE, GOSL does not conscript children!
LTTE, the saviors of Tamils, are however victimising the Tamil children by conscripting them into LTTE's armed forces, while LTTE leaders' children throw away lavish birthday parties in London!! |
sanathds
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21 Jul 2006 04:54:00 GMT Report for Abuse
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Excuse!
did you forget that your brother, the president was the Minister of Labour for most period of the last decade. Or else he might have not told you theses facts until lately....Isnt it. By the way you are in the govt. and you have all the powers in your family. what you are going to do about this? |
push110
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21 Jul 2006 06:08:17 GMT Report for Abuse
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It was only a couple of days ago a bride's picture appeared with the first lady Ms. Shiranthi Rajapaksha, taken at the Temple Trees. This was the wedding of a girl who worked as a servant from her childhood to the Lady. This is evidence to say that child abuse doesn't happen at the bottom, only at the top and also in upper middle class.
Edited By - push110 - 21 Jul 2006 06:09:09 GMT |
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