"The Myanmar government has lifted a ban on sending women overseas to work in Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand after a restriction was imposed in 2014 due to concerns about abuse. U Peter Nyunt Maung, president of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation, said the government will first send domestic workers to Singapore in a pilot project, and would then allow them to work in three other places – Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand, the Myanmar Times reported. He said the move would help the government to better oversee the sector as domestic workers had continued to work abroad illegally despite the ban being in place. “During the ban [imposed by the government], domestic workers went abroad illegally. Making it legal will make it easier to control,” U Peter Nyunt Maung said. Myanmar barred its citizens from working abroad in 2014 because of concerns that domestic workers were being abused and stuck in slave-like circumstances in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and elsewhere. The ministry and the federation will meet to sign a contract with labor placement agencies in Singapore to try to protect Myanmar citizens who go there to do domestic work..."