Up to half of all child laborers in Thailand are Burmese and many are forced into work by their parents, studies have revealed.

Some are working with dangerous agricultural chemicals hazardous to health. But a senior Thai government minister said it could be another ten years before the problem is eradicated.

The high incidence of Burmese child laborers was unearthed in several sample research projects covering six Thai provinces, from Chiang Rai in the north down to Songkhla in the south.

The research was debated on Thursday at the start of a two-day conference in Bangkok, organized by the International Labour Organization and Thailand’s Ministry of Labour, aimed at creating strategies to deal with the problem.

“In five provinces, except Udonthani, the study shown that child laborers is migrant children from neighboring country, especially Burma. Mainly they start with helping their parents to work because they don’t have opportunity to go to school,” said the ILO’s Panadda Palapol.

In Samut Sakorn, Tak, Chiang Rai provinces there are more than 130,000 legal Burmese migrant workers. Panadda said she believes the solution lies in providing education opportunities for immigrant children.  Related authorities should help to protect them from the worst working environments.

Penpisut Jaisanit, a Chiang Rai Rajabhat University researcher who operated a study in the Chiang Rai province border with Shan State said most child laborers were ethnic children from Burma.

“We found that the ethnic children are forced to beg by their parents, especially in Mae Sai. If they cannot find enough money they are punished. Some girls under 15 work in entertainment places and sexual harassment at the age when they should be in school,” said Penpisut.

The results of a separate study in Tak province’s districts of Pob Phra and Mae Sot border with Karen State revealed child laborers working with dangerous pesticides and fertilizers. However, Thailand’s Minister of Labor Somsak Thepsutin suggested it would be another ten years before the worst forms of child labor are eradicated in Thailand. He expressed concern that the relevant authorities often face difficulties in reaching migrant children.