Child labour linked to pay for cotton seed

Low pay to Indian cotton farmers by seed companies is leading farmers to use child labour, a recent study revealed.

The Price of Childhood found multinational companies including Bayer, Monsanto and Syngenta and India's Nuziveedu Seeds, Raasi Seeds and Ankur Seeds are paying farmers in Andhra Pradesh 40 per cent below what is needed for them to hire adults at minimum wage.

The report by the India Committee of the Netherlands, the International Labor Rights Fund and Eine Welt Netz NRW, found at least 100,000 children worked 13 hour days for less than 60 US cents per day. Many were in bonded labour.

The hazardous work exposes children to pesticides, causing illness and even death. Although the multinationals acknowledge substantial child labour in this sector, they deny its link to their payment to cotton seed farmers.

It is vital companies recognise the full impact of their policies on the use of child labour and their responsibilities throughout the supply chain.

More than 100 human rights activists and opposition supporters were arrested by the authorities in Nepal on 19 January.

Binod Shrestha, General Secretary of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions, Anti-Slavery International's partner, was among those arrested.

Human rights activists, NGOs and opposition politicians fear King Gyanendra's plans to hold municipal elections on 8 February, will further strengthen his authoritarian rule.

The King dismissed the government and seized absolute power in 2005. Anti-Slavery International is deeply concerned by the King's actions and urges a return to democracy. The democratic process is vital to the operation of human rights organisations and to their ability to identify, liberate and help bonded labourers and other marginalised people.

The restoration of democracy in 1991, enabled NGOs to work on such pressing issues as eliminating bonded labour. After years of pressure, the Government finally outlawed this form of slavery in 2002.

UK Government calls for collective commitment to end slavery in 2007

On 13 December, during a Parliamentary debate on the bicentenary of Britain's abolition of the slave trade, Under-Secretary of State David Lammy MP stated 2007 was "a timely opportunity for the people ... to recognise the reality of the Transatlantic Slave Trade ... and the role of ordinary people, alongside other Britons, Africans and Caribbean people to help bring slavery to an end....

"I want to ensure that we make the links between the concerns for justice that were present 200 years ago and our current concerns to tackle modern-day slavery .... the bicentenary in 2007 offers a chance for the country to make a collective commitment to ensure that in another 200 years, no one should feel the need to express the same level of regret for our actions today."

Traffickers get 63 years in jail but no sure help for victims

Five Albanian men were sentenced in London on 1 December to a total of 63 years for trafficking women to the United Kingdom from Lithuania.

Agran Demarku and his brother Flamur were each sentenced to 18 years in prison and Izzet Fejzullahu to 14 years for trafficking women and girls from Lithuania to the UK and forcing them into prostitution.

Other members of the trafficking gang were Xhevair Demarku, who pleaded guilty to trafficking within the UK and conspiracy to control prostitution and was sentenced to five years, and Bedari Demarku, who was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The case marks an important step forward in prosecuting traffickers, but the lack of protection for those trafficked is a serious concern. There is hope this will change as a result of the Government opening its national action plan against human trafficking to a 12-week public consultation from 5 January.

As part of this process, Anti-Slavery International is urging the Government to provide guaranteed minimum standards of protection for all people trafficked to the UK and to sign the Council of Europe's European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. Under the Convention, trafficked people may remain in the country for at least 30 days to receive emergency medical assistance, safe housing and legal advice.

To date, 25 governments have signed the Convention. Anti-Slavery International, together with Amnesty International, ECPAT UK, UNICEF and other concerned organisations, will continue to lobby the Government to sign and ratify this vital convention.

Camel jockeys sent home from UAE but thousands remain enslaved

Up to 1,000 child camel jockeys have been returned to their countries from the United Arab Emirates over the last six months, official reports say.

The action follows the UAE Government's agreement with UNICEF to help the return and reintegration of child camel jockeys in their countries, signed in May. Some observers, however, suggest this figure is inflated.

In 2005, the Government admitted as many as 3,000 children were being exploited as camel jockeys in the UAE, most of whom were under 10.

While news of any returns is positive, it is clear that at least 2,000 children have yet to be removed from camel farms. According to eyewitness accounts, boys continue to be used as jockeys in the UAE and it is feared some are being trafficked to neighbouring countries.

Anti-Slavery International's partners have also found that care for the children before they leave the UAE is lacking. Returned boys said they did not receive medical check-ups, treatment or counselling before being repatriated.