A Burmese state-sponsored newspaper reports the military government is training law enforcement officials to use a new law to crack down on human trafficking.
The New Light of Myanmar says the Burmese government held a seminar for local officials in Rangoon on effective use of the nation's new anti-trafficking law. The law, approved last year, bans human trafficking and makes it punishable by life in prison.
A 2005 report by the U.S. State Department identified Burma as a source for men and women trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation.
The report also said the Burmese government had done little to combat the problem and, in fact, sanctioned the use of forced labor, especially by the military.
Information for this report is provided by AFP.