In an exceptionally strongly worded statement, ICRC president Jakob Kellenberger accused Myanmar's armed forces of forcing thousands of detainees to work as porters to the point of exhaustion and malnutrition, sometimes using them as "human minesweepers.

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"The persistent use of detainees as porters for the armed forces is a matter of grave humanitarian concern," Kellenberger said.

"The actions of the authorities have also resulted in immense suffering for thousands of people in conflict-affected areas."

The ICRC insisted that it had repeatedly drawn attention to the abuses, but the authorities had failed to stop them.

Some of the porters were murdered, according to the ICRC written statement, which was based on observations and interviews by its own staff in Myanmar mainly between 2000 and 2005.

At a briefing with journalists, Kellenberger called the forced portering "particularly repulsive".

"In minefields they have to go ahead, so they are types of human minesweepers," he said.