Hundreds of Laotian women "sold" in China, victims of human trafficking
Vientiane
(AsiaNews / Agencies) - Over the past two years, hundreds of Laotian girls have
entered illegally into China, innocent and unsuspecting victims of human
trafficking. Most
of them came from the northern provinces of Laos and efforts to save them have proved
to be "largely" useless, reports Radio
Free Asia (RFA), quoting anonymous government sources in Vientiane who have
confirmed the seriousness of the phenomenon. Even
the U.S. State Department, in the 2011 report on Trafficking in Persons, said
that the South-East Asian nation is a "source" for unscrupulous traffickers,
who supply women and girls for the prostitution rackets and force men, women
and children -
without distinction - into forced labor in factories, homes, in the fields and
in the fishing industry.
The
U.S. government report says that the Lao people - regardless of sex or age - are
victims of forced labor in Thailand, Malaysia and China in particular, women
and girls "are marketed" across the border, where they are
"forced to marry Chinese men" . And
although the government in Vientiane has made "significant efforts"
to combat the phenomenon, the fact remains that even today Laos does not meet
the "minimum standards" in the fight to fully eradicate the scourge.
The
government official interviewed by RFA
confirms that "hundreds of families in the provinces bordering China, have
turned to authorities for help in finding their daughters who have disappeared
into thin air." In
all probability the young women were lured across the border with the prospect
of a job or marry a rich Chinese man. Most
of these young women are from Louang Namtha, Oudomxay, Bokeo and Phongsaly and
belong to the Khmu ethnic minority.
The
Laotian unit established to combat human trafficking has achieved some success,
by freeing the girls from a state of
slavery. However,
their searches in China are "largely unsuccessful" for two basic reasons:
Chinese bureaucracy and the vastness of the territory. In
addition, many officials working in the prevention complain of "scarce
resources" and "lack of enough and properly trained staff".
According
to official government in Vientiane, for 2010, 20 investigations into human
trafficking were initiated, which involved 47 people of whom 33 were sentenced
to a range of prison terms. The
previous year, however, there were no convictions.
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07/02/2023 12:11
15/07/2010
