Myanmar maids working in S'pore may be underaged

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http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120723-360840.html

Girls from Myanmar, some as young as 16 years old, are being sent to Singapore to work as maids, say agents and recruiters.

The Straits Times reported that these girls used passports with false ages to enter Singapore as domestic workers.

In 2005, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) set a requirement that all foreign maids in Singapore must be at least 23 years old.

In 2010, MOM issued warnings to 14 employment agents for bringing in underage maids. Four were also issued with demerit points, which put them at risk of losing their licences.

It is unclear how many underage Myanmar maids are in Singapore.

Four Singapore agents who spoke to the paper said they have been recommended some underage women by recruitment middlemen in Myanmar this year.

They said their suspicions were roused after seeing some of the girls' photos. The recruiters were unable to produce any birth or education certificates for these girls.

One agent received a Myanmar maid two weeks ago who claimed to be 23 years old. However after some investigations, she later revealed that she is only 16 years old and was repatriated immediately.

Ms Cherry Aung, a Singapore-based recruiter, said that Myanmar agents are aware that Singapore agents are trying to meet the demand for maids caused by the wrangling of fees with Indonesian recruiters during the past few months.

The English daily also said that the Myanmar Embassy is monitoring the issue.

There are currently an estimated 10,000 maids from Myanmar who earn about $400 and $420 a month in Singapore, according to the report.

Mr Tin Maung Win, secretary at Varadhatus Ratanarama Association which provides counselling to Myanmar workers locally, said the issue of underage domestic workers stems from Myanmar laws which prohibits women from leaving the country to work as maids and in the entertainment industry.

She explained that women are however able to leave Myanmar as tourists and the officials do not verify their ages. Myanmar workers in Singapore also revealed that government officials there can be bribed to forge ages on passport documents.

Myo Myo, a Myanmese maid in Singapore, said she was 16 years old when paid $400 to have her passport age forged as a 24-year-old with the help of a recruiter who was a family friend.

Under the Employment Agency Licensing Conditions, the agents are responsible to ensure that maids brought into Singapore meet MOM's entry requirements.