Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)... Myanmar (ratification: 1955) Observation, CEACR 2003/74th Session..."In summary, on the basis of the information at its disposal on actual practice, the Committee must conclude that while there may have been some decrease in forced labour since the report of the Commission of Inquiry in 1998, in particular for civil infrastructure work, forced labour continues to be exacted in many parts of the country. The situation is particularly serious in the border areas which are mostly inhabited by ethnic nationalities and where there is a heavy presence of the army. This clearly shows that in spite of the commitment to the elimination of forced labour expressed repeatedly by the Government the measures taken until now have not been sufficient to bring about rapid and significant progress, in particular as concerns the army... In view of the slowness of the progress, it could be hoped that the process of dialogue and cooperation which has developed between the ILO and the Government can offer a real chance of bringing about more rapid and concrete results. The Committee considers that the Joint Plan of Action agreed in May 2003 offers an opportunity for the Government, with the technical assistance of the ILO and the financial support of the international community, to move from procedural steps to substantive progress and to dispel the doubts that the current reality may cast about the seriousness of its commitment. The Committee can only express the hope that the Government will do its utmost to ensure the continuation of this process of dialogue and cooperation and will take all the necessary steps in the very near future to make it possible for the Joint Plan of Action to be implemented..."