jarkuduk uzbekistan uzbekistan long thousands students teachers healthcare workers pick cotton harvest prime minister abdulla aripov say saturday confirm halt practice condemn abroad force labor government officials source tell reuters early week central asian nation one world lead cotton exporters abruptly withdraw students teachers medical workers autumn harvest forever aripov say ask reporters whether government pull students state employees field current harvest rather good students study state employees work say officially harvest work voluntary pay 0.005 per kilogram reality refuse risk expulsion dismissal job unless bribe official hire someone work place accord source familiar matter move dovetail reform undertake president shavkat mirziyoyev tightly rule former soviet republic since veteran strongman leader islam karimov death year ago mirziyoyev move liberalize foreign exchange travel regulations 16,000 people strike blacklist potential extremists reform may help rebuild tie west attract foreign investment despite end use child labor 2015 international pressure include boycott campaign uzbekistan rank among top five bad offenders global slavery index compile last year activist group walk free foundation foundation estimate almost percent uzbek population 31 million live modern slavery place country second north korea category uzbekistan drop use students teachers nurse cotton-pickers pm