In Bishkek, Kyrgyz police are conducting raids to identify the illegal use of child labor. Traditionally, in the families of the republic, a love of work is instilled from childhood. But not all parents know about the permissible norms, according to MIR 24 correspondent Anastasia Kan.
Amir is seven. He carries light boxes and puts soap and shampoos on the counter - helping his mother. She does not go to school yet, but thanks to work she can add and subtract. And he knows how much toothpaste and washing powder cost.
Amir's mother Zulkar did not want to talk to journalists. But she assured that she could leave the child at home. He himself wants to be with his mother and loves to help. But there are also those in the bazaar who are forced to help their parents.
The juvenile inspectors regularly conduct raids on the capital's markets. They tell the merchants that the bazaar is not a place for a child. By law, children are allowed to work from the age of 14 and no more than four hours a day. Police officers talked to one of the traders, wrote down the details and address. Preventive measures are all that the law allows them in this case.
“We will work with everyone whom we have registered today. We will go home, check the living conditions and whether they are their children,”says juvenile affairs inspector Azamat Mambetaliev.
In Kyrgyzstan, children also work in the fields. During the summer holidays, schoolchildren want to help the family. They are trying to make money on uniforms, notebooks and pens. They even apply to a spontaneous labor exchange. There inspectors do not conduct raids: this is a private territory. But human rights activists are at work.
“It happens that a family, say, has already come out of poverty, but they have gaps in their knowledge that a child's long-term stay on the street can harm his health,” says human rights activist Nazgul Turdubekova.
Minors are prohibited from working at night and lifting more than 20 kilograms. They should not be allowed near chemicals either. Parents who violate the law are charged with fines, the amount of which is assigned by the court.
Kyrgyzstan has signed an international convention on the protection of children's rights. Now the head of state, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, constantly monitors the implementation of this issue. And raids on markets and fields will continue until the end of summer.
