The NK dictator dead; will NK trafficking victims be free?

I don't know if you guys have followed the news in this holiday season, but Kim Jong Il, the North Korean dictator is dead a few days ago. I initially thought, "well, does that mean that the trafficking victims from NK are no longer at risk?

Unfortunately, the answer is No. It may not affect any NK people's lives, let alone, the women and children at risk of human trafficking.

The dear leader, Kim Jong Il, appointed his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, as "Great Successor." last September. The dear leader knew that his days were numbered and he'd better hurry up and get ready for who was going to run the country after his death.

And the dear leader picked Kim Jong Un, his youngest son, over two older ones. There are number of reasons why the dear leader picked the youngest one. But, I won't go in details since it's not that important to the livelihood of trafficking victims. And, I am assuming since this is the blog for trafficking victims' cause, none of the readers is that interested. ( If you are, leave a comment).

A lot of speculations are out there about this kid, Kim Jong Un. That's right. He's a kid, a 28 year old who's crazy about NBA basketball. But, never overlook his young age and inexperience. A sushi chef who cooked for the Kim's family remembers Kimg Jong Un, "ruthless, competitive, and ambitious. And he added, "Just like his father."

Experience and age can change someone. But, the words, "ambitious" and "just like his father" doesn't give us much hope for change in terms of the lives of trafficking victims. On a top of this, Jong Un intends to continue his father's politics, meaning, he'll pretty much do anything using his force and authority to control people and earn loyalty from people.

What does this mean? Well, Jong Un is pretty much willing to or let his elite groups send 30% of food aid and a good portion of NK's very own grown (??) rice and corn to the military. And, it'll be so even if it means starvation for the rest of the North Koreans.

Experts say he will pretty much do anything to be in power, which means, NK people won't be free from the political oppression either.

Here is the thing. NK women and children are trafficked in China as sex and domestic slaves. And it's primarily because they want to escape poverty. They cross the Duman river ( or Tuman river) on the border of China and NK, and get caught by the Chinese soldiers, sold to brothels and such. Sure. Chinese is not free from the blame, but if NK was a peaceful and free nation with abundant life, the women wouldn't be crossing the border and get sold to slavery to begin with.

Having said that, the lives of people in NK, including trafficking victims, would unlikely be better off, just because the dear leader died.

And, you wonder what you can do for them. ( Did I call it or what?). You can pray. You can donate food and resources to the people who perform humanitarian reliefs on behalf of NK people. Yes, the humanitarian aid will benefit the NK tyrant and his military greatly and only certain portion of the aid will go to the people. But, at this point, that's the best shot, unfortunately.

Check out this ORG working for NK people ( and victims).

It says "refugees." But, trafficking victims are many of Those refugees.

http://www.linkglobal.org/thereliance/

Nestle investigates child labor

Politicians and food executives have been talking about ending the problem of child labor in the West African cocoa industry for the last decade. After shocking revelations that hundreds of thousands of children were forced to harvest cacao beans under abusive conditions, companies pledged to address the practice as "fair trade" entered their lexicon.

But 10 years later, labor advocates say the chocolate industry doesn't have a lot to show for itself on this issue. In 2009, the U.S. Department of State estimated that there were still more than 109,000 children working in Ivory Coast's cocoa industry, and about 10 percent were victims of human trafficking or enslavement.

Perhaps that's why Nestlé, the world's largest food company, has just hired an organization that specializes in accountability to investigate and document child labor on the farms that supply it with the cocoa that ends up in millions of chocolate bars.

Beginning in January, the Fair Labor Association, Nestle's new partner, will send a team of independent assessors to Ivory Coast to map the cocoa supply chain. The group has conducted similar investigations with companies in the textile, manufacturing and other industries in countries around the world. But Nestlé is the first food company to open up its supply chain to FLA's scrutiny.

"Our system is a very robust system; it's really only for companies ready to 'walk the walk,'" Auret van Heerden, president of CEO of the Fair Labor Association, tells The Salt. "There's a lot of work to be done and Nestlé knows that, but they're showing commitment and seriousness."

If FLA finds evidence of child labor, it will advise Nestlé on what to do about it, Nestle says. "Child labor has no place in our supply chain," said Nestlé's Executive Vice President for Operations José Lopez in a statement. "We cannot solve the problem on our own, but by working with a partner like the FLA, we can make sure our efforts to address it are targeted where they are needed most."

Ivory Coast and other West African countries produce 75 percent of the world's cocoa. But as NPR's Maria Godoy has reported, bulk beans grown in Africa represent just a small sampling of the many flavors of cacao. That's inspiring chocolate explorers to scour the Amazon Basin in search of a new bounty of wild cacao.

Full Article

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So, a lot of people are excited about Nestle investigating child labor on its own supply chain in West Africa. But, I have news for you. There is NOTHING to be excited about in regards to this investigation. Nestle is wasting its own money and time to put up a show not to loose consumers.

The problem of child labor in West Africa is mostly cultural, political, and economic matters. Yes, child trafficking in genuine sense happens, but this is far too rare in the region comparing to how many subsistent farmers and their families depending on the cocoa industry.

I said this in my article a while ago, but I am gonna say this again. Even the president of the Ivory Coast worked as a child with his families. Most farmers work on someone else's land. They have may be one or two trees that they own on someone else's farm and work their butt off to bring food to the table for THAT DAY because that's all they can afford.

If anyone is interested in eliminating child labor in West Africa,(mainly Ivory Coast), start pressuring the Ivorian government to clean up their act. The bribery and high taxation are more painful to these children and their poor farmer parents, rather than working on their farm itself per se. If the government stop taxing them so much and the government officials stop asking for bribes for passing the bridge or what not, the farmers will have more money to pay for legitimate workforce and send their kids to school.

Happy Thanksgiving Day-- Remembering trafficking victims on holidays

I haven't been very consistent with keeping up with this blog. A lot happened since last time I posted anything on this blog. But, I am trying to write more often here so you have something to read on human trafficking more often and I get to say things more often. :)

I also write a weekly column on The Washington Times Communities every Wednesday. I am not allowed to be so personal on that column i.e., not allowed to ramble nor use "I". So, I would like to keep this blog as more conversational and engaging with readers and other advocates who care about human trafficking.

Besides, this helps me blab about human trafficking and social issues with other people who care, when nobody else around me is really interested in talking about the subject.

So, I recently interviewed a nonprofit founder from Alabama. Her name is Tajuan. She is also a survivor of human trafficking victim. She talked about her bleak Thanksgiving Day as a victim on my column this week. She described her holiday as a victim as follows:

Instead, her pimp made her stay out on the street longer during holidays than on other days, because sex customers usually stayed home with families on holidays making it hard for the workers to meet the daily quota.

Now, I've never been trafficked. But, I sure remember how it feels to be alone and isolated on holidays. There was one holiday that I had to stay in VA all by myself to prepare for an exam. The small town that I stayed in felt so so very dark and cold. Everything including Walmart was closed. I think CVS was opened till 6 pm but that was about it. I would imagine that the only thing that keeps anyone warm from that cold weather and dreary town during that holiday season was their families, esp. the loving parents (and grandparents) who wanted to stuff them with turkey and gravy with extra love.

That holiday, I had none of that. But I also didn't have a pimp who forced me to be on the street without food all day and not letting me come into the motel room unless I make daily quota. Without the pimp, that winter was cold enough.

Can you imagine being in a victim's shoes? It must've felt like someone stripping her and whipping her back in the cold weather while everyone is watching her. Not to be too graphic or pessimistic on this wonderful holiday, but I just wanted to share my thoughts on how a holiday is like to trafficking victims.

Comments and thoughts are welcomed.

J-1 visa participants treated no different than human trafficking victims

J-1 visa participants treated no different than human trafficking victims

Though the students were visiting the U.S. for cultural experiences, their lives in the U.S. looked more like those of trafficking victims. Despite the deplorable conditions, the US State Department failed to protect the J-1 participants

Under the regulation 22 CFR 62.10(e), sponsors are responsible for monitoring students’ welfare during their stay and are required to submit annual report the State Department. However, the annual report does nothing to protect students from exploitive employers. The State Department, which oversees the program, has no way to monitor the actions of the sponsors or to ensure accurate reporting.

According to some of the 300 students sponsored by Hershey’s, the company threatened them with deportation when they complained about overcrowded housing and exploitative work conditions.

For employers, the J-1 program offers the easiest way to hire cheap seasonal labors. Though the students have the same labor rights as those of American workers, companies often take advantage of the lax regulation by the State Department and pay the student workers $1 or $2 an hour after deducting housing, uniform, or other fees from their paychecks.

Some employers even force students into working at strip clubs. In December 2010, strip clubs in the U.S. openly solicited students on J-1 program. The students told Associated Press that criminals forced J-1 participants into sex slavery and confiscated their passports.

Full Article:

Who can eliminate child labor in the Ivorian cocoa industry?

Who can eliminate child labor in the Ivorian cocoa industry?

Local farmers see anti-child labor campaigns as intimidation rather than an opportunity for children's education. For Ivorian cocoa farmers living on $2 a day, Americans boycotting their products sounds much more threatening than not sending their children to school.

Many also see child labor regulations as cultural imperialism, imposing western ideals on them.

Instead of demanding that chocolate companies adhere to fair trade practices, the government and advocates must address systemic problems of high tax rates, poverty, governmental bribes and the culture of the Ivory Coast to eliminate child labor on the cocoa farms.

According to a March 2011 BBC report chocolate companies claiming to implement the fair trade process are stil relying on child labor. The BBC report found one Ivory Coast farmer who was sending his products to the Nestle co-operative as part of its fair trade initiative still relying on his “eight year old brother and eleven year old son” to harvest the cocoa and that neither of the boys are attending school.

One of the causes behind child labor in the Ivorian cocoa industry are high tax rates that, according to a Financial Times report, has 40% of the proceeds from the sale of international cocoa going to the African government.

Thailand's unfinished battle against human trafficking

Thailand's unfinished battle against human trafficking

In Thailand, hundreds of thousands of members of minority ethnic groups legally have no national affiliation to Thailand. The Thai government officially recognizes only nine of the tribes in the remote highlands, leaving the rest without Thai citizenship. Because they have no legal national affiliation to Thailand, these groups have no right to education, employment, healthcare, or even freedom of movement.

Although stateless people have a right to attain citizenship under Thai law, the process is extremely difficult. Thai law states that eligible applicants can obtain citizenship within 90 days, but in reality, the process often takes as long as three years or more. Additionally, in many cases, government officials are reluctant to help stateless people proceed with the application process due to corruption, which further slows the process.

Lehmann says lack of citizenship makes stateless people vulnerable to human trafficking in several ways.

Full Article

The missing piece of the U.S. anti-human trafficking effort

The missing piece of the U.S. anti-human trafficking effort

"unless the U.S. addresses the problem of American youth entering the sex industry to pimp others, its fight against human trafficking will never stop.

One scholar says that the problem of American youth pimping others, among many other crimes, is attributed to the lack of proper role models in their lives. Surely, youth need positive role models who will teach them that exploiting others are wrong and that their actions bear consequences. But, that is not enough. They also need changes in their mindsets that they can be anything but “a drug dealer, a thug, or a pimp in the hood.”

Meet Prontiss Houseworth. He was arrested for sex trafficking women in Nashville, Tennessee just a few weeks ago. According to local news, Prontiss allegedly threatened to kill the victims and their families if the victims refused to prostitute for his financial gain.

The victims stated that Prontiss put them in the back of his car with the child locks on and transported them against their will from Atlanta, Georgia to Nashville, Tennessee. They also testified that upon arrival in Nashville, Prontiss confined them in a motel room "

For Further reading..

Domestic workers in Lebanon: Employed or enslaved?

Domestic workers in Lebanon: Employed or enslaved?

Sina traveled to Lebanon from Nepal to become a housemaid a few years ago. When her employment agent reached out to her in her impoverished rural community, the agent told Sina that a housemaid job in Lebanon would not only enable her to support her siblings but also help her pay for her mom's hospital bill. Sina thought that the opportunity seemed to be too good to pass by. Therefore, she immediately packed her belongings and flew to Lebanon.

Upon her arrival in Lebanon, Sina quickly discovered that her work situation was quite different from what she had imagined. After confiscating Sina’s passport and identification, the employers wanted her to work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week. They gave Sina only bread and tea to eat each day. For months, the employers also demanded that she work at their relatives’ houses.

Employers never mentioned anything about her salary, which she had not received. When Sina finally confronted her employers about the unpaid salary, the employers became physically and verbally abusive towards Sina. They also locked her in a room every night so that Sina could not escape from the employers’ house.

Today in Beirut City, Sina’s story is all too common to ignore among foreign housemaids. Some housemaids also face sexual abuse by their employers and have no legal recourse or other ability to protect their rights.

Labor Exploitation in North Carolina

*Juan, a sixteen year old from Columbia, is a migrant farm worker in North Carolina. He came to the U.S. to support his family two years ago after his traffickers promised a wonderful life in this land of opportunity. Unlike what his traffickers promised, however, Juan's life in the States has been nothing but challenging. Everyday, Juan gets up 4 o'clock in the morning, heads to the farm, and works for 14 hours. Under the hot scorching North Carolinian sunlight, Juan gets neither a bathroom break nor cold water to quench the thirst. He would be lucky if he gets to come home at the end of the day without getting heat stroke.

But, Juan's story is common among the farm workers in North Carolina. According to the North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking, North Carolina has seen 260 percent increase in the number of human trafficking victims for the past three years, and 38 percent of the victims were the ones exploited with labor like Juan.

Many migrants also often are subject to very poor living and working conditions, According to one research:

• Of the growers provided housing submitted to water testing, 44 per cent had contaminated water (University of North Carolina. Reported by Smith-Nonini.)

• One wash tub per 30 workers meets the state’s requirements.

• In 1986, of farm workers tested, 86 per cent had intestinal parasites - a reflection of poor sanitation and contaminated water (University of North Carolina. Reported by Smith-Nonini.)

• Despite a legal requirement, a survey found that only 4 per cent of farm workers had access to drinking water, toilets and hand washing facilities in the fields. (Human Rights Watch)

• There are four federally funded clinics that serve farm workers where patients pay on a sliding scale according to income. However, more than 60 per cent of the migrant farm worker population live in counties outside the service area of a migrant health center. (NC Farmworker Health Alliance, March 1996)

• The state provides limited funds for migrant health services. These funds provide reimbursements for doctors, dentists, clinics and pharmacies for care to farm workers and their dependents who have been employed in the state within the past 24 months. (NC Farmworker Health Alliance, March 1996)

But, the situation of migrant workers on tobacco farms in North Carolina are worse than others. They often experience green tobacco sickness due to the excessive absorption of nicotine through the skin. The symptoms of green tobacco sickness include, "dizziness, vomiting, weakness, coughing, nosebleeds, and headaches." Yet, many of them have no ways to speak up for themselves because the traffickers or their employers threaten them with deportation.

Thankfully, an organization like Farm Labor Organization Committee has stood next to a farmworker like Juan to protect his rights. But, further work needs to be done. What can you do for a worker like Juan?

For more information, visit supportfloc.org

*Juan is a fictitious name.

Global human trafficking roundup (July 20, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Canada: Hamilton police receives funding supports to fight human trafficking in the area. The funding will be used to increase education campaign, special investigations targeting sex trade, etc. Last year, Hamilton police arrested ten adults and a youth in connection to the largest human trafficking case in Canada.

Georgia: Authorities found a missing 15 year old Wisconsin girl and her infant son. The report says that she was a victim of sex trafficking in Georgia. The victim has been missing since May 2011, when she ran away from home in Belmar Hills, Wisconsin. Police are still investigating to discover who was involved in sex trafficking the victim.

US: U.S. authority launches a public campaign to fight against human trafficking. The campaign includes the ads based on the feedback from Homeland Security. The ads will run across the states including District of Columbia, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. The campaign's primary target is to countermeasure labor trafficking in the U.S.

North Carolina: human trafficking is an ongoing problem in the state, police says. The crime is so lucrative that it is difficult to track it down, according to the police. Currently, the legislation is available to help victims in the state, but the funding is for the initiatives are up for discussion in Congress.

EUROPE

UK: Home Secretary warned that human traffickers likely would target Olympics. The warning came as the Home Office launched a new measure to combat human trafficking. The Home Office will examine tougher penalties to seize assets from the convicted smugglers and traffickers.

Turkey: Human trafficking persists to be a problem in Turkey. One woman shares her story as a victim of sex trafficking in Turkey. She came to Istanbul to be a housekeeper after responding to a newspaper advertisement. But, upon arrival, she was locked into a house for several months and forced into prostitution. One law enforcement pointed out the male dominated culture and inadequate law enforcement as main causes of human trafficking in Turkey.

Czech Republic: Police dismantled sex trafficking ring that preyed on Czech women in Britain. The investigation was conducted in cooperation with British police. The police arrested six people that recruited young Czech women for sham marriages and prostitution.

ASIA

Myanmar: Myanmar steps up its effort to combat human trafficking. The authority established 26 new special police squads to curb female trafficking in the border region. It also increased its awareness raising effort by using pamphlets, billboards, etc. to combat human trafficking.

India: Police arrested a placement agency owner for running a human trafficking ring. He allegedly recruited girls from rural area in Assam for domestic servants. The victims, however, never received the wages.

The Philippines: Three women were charged with trafficking other women and children. According to the report, the arrests were made during the operation conducted by IJM and the Intelligence Unit. Police also rescued eight victims during the operation.

AFRICA

Nigeria: The national authority announced that over 20,000 girls were sex trafficked in Mali last year. Young women were subject to forced prostitution as well as emotional and physical abuse by the traffickers. They were also required to see at least 20 men a day. The critics point out the Nigerian government's failed effort to combat human trafficking in the country, such as Operation Timbuktu.

South Africa; A woman was sentenced to life in prison for trafficking three girls from Mozambique. According to the report, the convicted trafficker locked the girls in the age between 14 and 17 in a house and forced them into prostitution.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 20, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Kentucky: Two parents were indicted on human trafficking charges for selling their daughters' sexual flavors. They arranged their 13 and 14 year old daughters to provide companionship and affection to men for money and goods, according to the indictment. Their mother recruited men at local grocery stores and encouraged them to touch and kiss her daughters to receive money and clothing from the men.

Hawaii: Labor company was fined $340,000 for exploiting more than 400 Thai farm workers. The court ordered the company to pay $153,000 in back wages to 88 temporary workers and $197,000 for penalties. The back wages were calculated based on what was originally promised to the Thai workers.

Nevada: Governor signed a bill to assist women forced into prostitution in Las Vegas. The Assembly bill 6 would allow women forced into prostitution or trafficked to request a district court to erase her conviction.

Georgia: A man gets 12 years in prison for sex trafficking women. When the then 21 year old victim had escaped from the man, he tracked her down and brought her back to his motel. He ordered other streetwalkers to beat her up. Then, he locked her up in a dog kennel.

EUROPE

UK: A woman forced to work as a domestic servant was awarded £5,000 damages after the judge criticized the Metro police for failing to promptly investigate the case. The victim was regularly stripped and beaten with a stick or belt by the church pastor in front of her three children. In 1999 the pastor also stabbed the victim in her head with a heavy meat cleaver. The pastor was sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison after being convicted of trafficking the woman and two other children to UK as domestic slaves.

ASIA

India: Police found a 21 year old woman who was victimized by a trafficking ring. According to the victim, she was sent to Dubai with a promise of a good job but ended up being forced into performing a dance at a bar. She also stayed at a hotel with 20 other girls in the similar situation. When she tried to committed a suicide to escape an enslaved lifestyle, Her trafficker sent her back to India. She was weeping at the Delhi airport, when police found her.

Taiwan: Two teenage boys are arrested for pimping on dozens of girls. The girls as young as twelve years old were recruited through internet for prostitution, working at tea house, and hotels in the capital city. Police said that the teenage boys are the youngest pimps ever.

AFRICA

Senegal: ILO and other international organizations report that Talibes, students of Islam, are forced into begging on the students. They estimate that over 7000 boys are working on the street in the capital city alone. And Human Rights Watch estimates that 50,000 children are exploited nationwide. Children are initially recruited to learn how to read and recite Quran by the religious teachers but ended up living under a poor condition and being forced to beg on the street.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 19, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Nebraska: U.S. authority says that corporation needs to wake up to fight against human trafficking. Currently, awareness raising led to legislations in many states to punish traffickers and protect victims. But, authority says that further action is necessary to include corporation to collaborate with countries across the regions to trace supply chains of cheap goods to fight against slavery.

Tennessee: The recent study on human trafficking in Tennessee shows that many children in the age between nine and 17 are transferred from city to city and sexually exploited. Hamilton County, according to the study, is one of eight in the state to report more than 100 cases of adult sex trafficking for the past 24 months. Because of it's geographical proximity to Atlanta and interstates that cross the state, it is conducive to a traveling business.

Canada: RCMP says that the case against a woman to enslaved an African woman is solid. According to RCMP, the woman is a well respected in the community without any criminal record. However, he lured a 24 year old victim from Africa and forced her into long hours of labor without pay in her home for years. The woman is now facing one count of human trafficking and one count of smuggling charges.

Florida: FBI arrested a couple who forced children into prostitution. They are facing charges of recruiting, providing and maintaining minors for commercial sex in a house. According to the criminal complaint, the couple prostituted children as young as 14 year old to have sex with men. One victim said that there were many women and children dancing in front of men when she first walked into the house. She also said that she had sex with the suspect who told her ti was part of orientation.

EUROPE

Belgium: EU proposes better help for victim protection. Currently, the level of protection and assistances for victims differ in each member state. EU argues that this creates confusion about their rights among the victims. EU further argues that a new directive will provide a more unified protection for the victims regardless of where they are from or where they are located in Europe.

ASIA

India: Police busted a human trafficking ring and arrested two people. During the raid, police rescued nine children who were trafficked. The children, including three boys and three little children, were sold to Delhi as domestic servants. The allegedly traffickers received the initially payment from the employers. But, neither the parents nor the children received any monthly salaries for their labor.

AFRICA

Congo: Children are vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation, a report says. Many of them grew up in a poor family, and they often share financial burdens of their parents. Some are neglected by their own parents and ended up being forced to beg for living on the street or recruited by a brothel madam. While child protection law is in place, it is rarely enforced, according to the report.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 18, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Canada: The Manitoba government gets tough on child sexual predators. A new legislation is introduced to allow asset forfeiture from the convicted traffickers. The legislation will also allow the victims to file civil lawsuit against their predators.

Georgia: Advocates praise the state's new legislation to combat human trafficking. The new law will treat those in sexual slavery as victims and allow them to provide affirmative defense "when coming forward and for penalties that allow the state to seize any real or personal property used or purchased by a convicted trafficker."

EUROPE

Estonia: Advocacy group say that human trafficking is ongoing problem in Estonia. According to the report, the group's helpline received 71 calls from victims in March alone. In 2010, the helpline received total 643 calls, receiving in average 50 calls in each month.

UK: The government says sexual grooming of children is a much bigger problem than that has been recognized before. The children's minister says that the UK government launches action plan to tackle child sexual exploitation. Experts say that children as young as 10 year old are sexually exploited in UK. The action plan will likely look at obstacles that child victims experience to bring their abusers to justice.

AFRICA

South Africa: Two Chinese women are facing a trial for human trafficking related charges. They allegedly lured women with a promise of a good job in South Africa and forced them into prostitution. They are facing charges of human trafficking and running an illegal brothel in Cape Town.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 17, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Canada: BC woman was charged with human trafficking and smuggling. She allegedly lured an African woman to come to Canada with promise of job and forced her to work as a domestic slave. The victim was forced to work 18 hours a day and seven days a week without a pay.

North Carolina: Federal law enforcement charged a man with running an online prostitution ring in Charlotte and other cities in South. When the woman said that she wanted out, the man became violent, pulled her hair, striking her face and threatening more harm to force her to continue on prostitution.

Oregon: Lawmakers approved a bill to combat child prostitution in the state. The new bill, if implemented, would create tough penalties for people who pay for sex with minors. It would create $10,000 fine for John's first offense and a $20,000 fine and jail time for additional offenses.

EUROPE

UK: ECPAT UK says that efforts to protect victims have suffered since coalition took power last May. The group claims that the coalition brought lack of leadership and funding. While the UK government says that it is working on a new strategy to combat trafficking, the group's director says that it will have no separate section on combating child trafficking.

ASIA

Japan: Major Internet service provides block access to internet child pornography. The measure came about after the Cabinet's crime countermeasures conference concluded that the law allows blocking access to child pornography under certain conditions. However, some people raise the concern that such move will affect freedom of expression.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 14-16, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Massachusetts: The Attorney General filed a bill to crack down on human trafficking in the state. The bill will criminalize sex and labor trafficking in the state if implemented. It will also create an Attorney General led human trafficking task force to study illegal trade and increase penalties for Johns.

Minnesota: Lawmakers are considering a bill to treat children who were engaged in prostitution as victims. If the bill is implemented, the state becomes the fifth state to protect children from being prosecuted for prostitution.

Florida: An Orlando man was indicted on child sex trafficking charges. He allegedly forced children into having sex with men from across the country. According to the indictment, the man advertised the children online to set up an appointment with johns. His victims include a child as young as 13 years old.

EUROPE

UK: Trafficking victims testify their experience as slaves. One trafficking victim from Ghana was trafficked to UK and was prostituted by her boyfriend. She was locked into an apartment and forced to have sex with men for 300 days until the escape. Another victim was trafficked as a domestic servant to Italy when she was nine years old. After working seven years without pay, she was trafficked to UK to work for another family as a domestic servant. They both were subject to beating and verbal abuse.

ASIA

China: Police arrested eighteen suspects and rescued nineteen children from a human trafficking ring. The investigation began after the police received a tip regarding a 29 year old woman an several suspects trafficking children out of Yunnan providence and sold them in Fujian providence.

AFRICA

Ghana: Police rescued 116 children from communities around Volta Lake. They are in the age between four and seventeen, according to the report. Police also arrested thirty men in connection to this human trafficking case who were sentenced to 16 months in prison at the court.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 12, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Maryland: A 43 year old man was sentenced to 10 years in jail after convicted of sex trafficking a child. The police made the arrest after receiving a tip from the relative of the missing 12 year old minor. The relative stated that the 12 year old girl was recruited for prostitution. The victim told the police that she met the man in Washington D.C. The man had sex with her in D.C., and recruited her to work for him. The victim also said that she had sex with many men, and the man kept all the profits.

Tennessee: State Senate sponsors a new legislation to combat child prostitution and human trafficking in Tennessee. The new bill will protect the victim status of minors charged with prostitution and would be released to their families or guardians after rehabilitation care. Also, it will make patronizing a person under the age of 18 or a person with disability a Class E felony.

ASIA

China: Authorities arrested 40 people and rescued 22 children from a child trafficking ring. Arrests were made while suspects abducted children in Yunnan providence and sell them to Fujian providence. According to the report, over 200 local law enforcement were deployed to bust this human trafficking ring.

Israel: A recent report by the Tel Aviv migrant worker's hotline says that many migrant workers are exploited with labor. Ever since Israel began allowing non-Palestinian migrant workers entry, migrant workers live under debt bondage and human rights violation. Some employers sell or rent their migrant workers to others.

Thailand: Police arrested a 30 year old woman for recruiting children in the age of 15 -18 for prostitution. The woman admitted to hire minors to work at karaoke bars and the beach and sold them for sex to foreign tourists.

AFRICA

Namibia: ILO study shows that child labor is prevalent throughout Namibia. According to the report, over 800 Namibian children and 27 foreign children are discovered to be exploited with labor throughout the regions. In particular, foreign children are believed to be trafficked from Angola and Zambia for child labor purpose. The children are engaged in chores including "cattle herding, field de-bushing, ploughing, weeding and harvesting on communal, subsistence and commercial farms."

Global human trafficking roundup (May 11, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Missouri: House offered a unanimous vote to a bill to strengthen anti-human trafficking measure. Under the new bill, trafficker will face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of as much as $250,000. Victims of trafficking or forced labor will also be able to seek restitution.

Colorado: Colorado Human Trafficking Task force is taking action against the crime in Colorado Spring. The Task Force representative said that they want to raise awareness and money to train local law enforcement to crack down human trafficking. Currently, lawmakers are trying to attack the prostitution problems with tougher penalties against johns by raising the fine to $5000.

Kentucky: The U.S. attorney announced that a nation wide human trafficking investigation resulted nine indictment on various levels of prostitution charges. According to the court records, the defendants operated brothels using women from Hispanic countries in Tennessee and Kentucky. The women were forced to work Monday through Saturday and traveled between the cities on Sundays. The women were also required to see 30 clients a day and work 50 weeks a year.

Hawaii: Nonprofit groups say that Asia Pacific Economic Conference may lead increase in prostitution in Honolulu. Some of the attendees are from countries that the law against prostitution is not enforced. Honolulu local law enforcement says that they are planning on devote more resources in Waikiki during this event, but that step-up measure is normal for such a big event.

EUROPE

Spain: Police arrested a German man for filming himself sexually abusing his and other children in the age between three and nine. He also distributed the video on the internet pedophile forum, in which he offered the children to other adults for sex with and make similar videos.

ASIA

The Philippines: Two Swedish men were jailed for running a cyber sex den according to the court. On their internet sex site, women would perform for clients. They both received unprecedented life term sentences. Also, three Filipinos who assisted these Swedish men were convicted of human trafficking charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

China: The state family planning officials in Hunan providence have reportedly involved in child trafficking ring for a decade. For the past ten years, the government officials seized at least 20 children from their families and sold each child for $150 to a local welfare center. State officials took away children from families who breached one child policy law or illegally adopted a child.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 10, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Missouri: A man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for trafficking people for labor. An Uzbekistan man brought thousands of people from abroad and forced them into labor in local restaurants and hotels. He also larded fees for uniforms and housings. He also had put some of the workers into work for as little as $1 an hour.

Tennessee: Law enforcement busted a human trafficking ring last week. They arrested nine people, including three women at three different residences. Law enforcement said that it's not clear how many women were forced into prostitution by this trafficking ring. The arrest was a result of five month long undercover investigation.

Michigan: A former janitor at the University of Michigan was arrested for bringing a family of four from African to work in his home. He is charged with human trafficking, forced labor, and visa and mail fraud. ICE agents found journals written by the victims detailing abuse by the man at his residence. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

New Jersey: Nonprofit group says that New Jersey is a hub of human trafficking. A Polaris Project representative says that labor trafficking males, most male Hispanic migrants, significantly increases during the growing seasons, and transgender youths are forced into survival or commercial sex. Also many foreign women are forced into prostitution in massage parlors throughout the state.

Massachusetts: The state house is considering a bill to combat sex trafficking in the state. The new bill will define people managing prostitutes or pimps as traffickers. The bill will also impose much stiffer penalties on pimps and johns who pay for sex.

LATIN AMERICA

Argentina: A new study reports that U.S. is the destination for many Argentine men, women, and children for human trafficking. 80% of the trafficked victims work as sex workers under pretenses. The study also says that Argentina is a transit point for many women trafficked from neighboring countries.

AFRICA

Kenya: Police arrested a woman who was allegedly involved in child trafficking. The police also found three children that she was going to sell in Kisii. The children were later reunited with their parents, and the woman is still under investigation.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 7-9, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Texas: A Milwaukee couple were charged with trafficking a woman for prostitution. They allegedly kidnapped the woman to their house and forced her into prostitution in New Orleans and Dallas. If the victim failed to make $500 a day, the couple denied the victim of privileges including watching TV. The suspect also held the victim's head underwater until she agreed to stay when her first attempt to escape failed.

Oregon: Police are investigating an allegedly sex trafficking case at a local motel. The investigation began after they were informed that a 15 year old girl was held against her will. She was given drug and forced into prostitution. According to the report, the victim was taken to the hospital for recovery, but her mental recovery may take longer.

ASIA

India: Police busted a human trafficking ring that sent people to Gulf countries for labor trafficking. Police arrested a 55 year old man and 23 year old man for trafficking people abroad. The suspects allegedly lured the victims with a promise of good jobs in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but the victims ended up working at a poor working environment without pay.

AFRICA

Zimbabwe: Interpol is tracking down on a South African based human trafficking ring that allegedly recruited more than 100 girls from neighboring countries. The victims are mostly from Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and Mozambique. They are also transferred to Europe and Asia for prostitution or labor exploitation.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 6, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Texas: A 33 year old mother and a survivor of sex trafficking shares her experience as a sex slave. She arrived in San Antonio from Honduras a few years ago to support her children. Instead, she was lured by another woman who forced her into prostitution. The woman threatened her that she will report her to immigration office and hurt her child if she refused to prostitute. The case is still under investigation.

Minnesota: The new bill is proposed to protect child prostitution victims. The new bill, if implemented, will treat prostituted children as victims rather than juvenile delinquents. If Minnesota lawmakers pass the legislation, it becomes only the fifth state in the nation to make this plan into law.

Michigan: Federal agents suspect that Grand Rapid prostitution ring case may be connected to human trafficking. In this case, a man allegedly ran the prostitution ring in Grand Rapid, one of several in four states. According to the report, all women were in debt as they were told to repay the smuggling fees. They had to pay the house manager for costs of food and other living expenses.

EUROPE

Finnland: Foreign workers are increasingly exploited with labor in Finland. Many labor trafficking of foreign workers take place in cleaning and household service sectors, according to the report. Many victims are hired by private citizens. They often receive small wages and live under very poor conditions. According to the immigration status, most victims are from the Philippines recruited for domestic chores.

ASIA

China: Human trafficking in China is on the rise, according to a watchdog. More than 130 human trafficking cases were documented along the borderline between China and Burma last year. According to some source, parents are selling their daughters to traffickers for $1800 to pay off their debts.

Philippines: A 30 year old man was arrested for transporting eight women for prostitution. According to the report, he picked up women in the age between and 18 and 23 in Manilla and took them to Coron, where his mother runs a videoke bar. An authority says that the videoke bar caters tourists, mostly Americans. However, the man denied the allegation.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 5, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Indiana: Federal authority busted a human trafficking ring in Indianapolis. The multi state ring brought women from abroad and prostituted them in Hispanic community on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Police also arrested 19 people including four men and three women appeared in Federal court earlier this week.

Hawaii: The second suspect pleads guilty in largest U.S. human trafficking case. He is one of the eight people charged in an alleged human trafficking case exploiting 400 Thai workers on Hawaiian farms. With the guilty plea, he could face up to five years in prison and "three years on probation as well as pay a $250,000 fine and restitution to the victims."

Arizona: The Department of Public Safety found a dozen of trafficking victims at a drop house during the raid. The raid was conducted after the investigators received a tip from a family i Florida that their family member was being held for ransom in somewhere in Phoenix area. The investigators round 10 victims and six suspects during the raid. Some of the victims are bound for sex industry. The house was located in the middle of an upscale suburban community.

Washington: Governor signed a new bill into a law to combat child prostitution. Under the new legislation, allow police to record telephone calls involving underage victims when the victims give consent. It will also allow minors to help police with investigations. The new law will go in effect in the beginning of August.

EUROPE

Czech Republic: National authority said that the federal law enforcement has been unsuccessful in fighting against labor trafficking. She said that traffickers no longer use violence but rather targeting their vulnerable positions as a method of control. She also added that the new method of control has been very difficult to prove, and it is often not considered as a crime at all.

Ireland: Two men are scheduled to be extradited from Lithuania to Northern Ireland on charges involve human trafficking. The charges are related to a human trafficking incident in 2006 and include abduction, false imprisonment, rape, and human trafficking in and out of UK.

Belgium: Europol report says that organized criminals in Europe increasingly rely on technology and social media to defraud victims. According to the report, extensive use of Internet is used for recruitment and marketing of human trafficking victims.

ASIA

Pakistan: Age old religious practice continues to fuel slavery of innocent children. According to the superstition, women whose first born has a very small head are obliged to sacrifice the first born at a shrine as servants to protect her subsequent children from being disabled by birth. Once the mothers wishes are fulfilled, their first born are left in the premises of a tomb. These children also are forced to wear steel helmets to restrict their growth and used for begging in the various parts of the country.

AFRICA

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe is criticized for failing to counteract human trafficking in the country. The country is the transition point of many women and children trafficked from Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, and Mozambic to South Africa. Zimbabwean women and children are also trafficked to Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. Yet, the county has no legislation to fight against human trafficking.

Swaziland: Law enforcement rescued eight boys who were trafficked for labor exploitation. They were lured with a promise of high paying jobs in South Africa but ended up cutting trees for approximately .80 cents per each. The boys also found other victims who were trafficked to South Africa from Swaziland at the destination for the same reason.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 4, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Georgia: The governor signs a new bill to fight against human trafficking into a law. The new law provides expanding definition of coercion to include causing or threatening financial harm, prohibits defense by blood relation, treats those in sex trafficking as victims, significantly increases penalties for offenders.

California: Prostitution and sex trafficking is increasing in Fresno. Many of the victims are underage girls who are forced into prostitution at local motels. Though they are forced into prostitution during the daylight, no significant efforts has been made to rescue the victims. One local council member therefore intends to tackle the problem by visiting mayor's office and the law enforcement.

EUROPE

Kosovo: EU court confirmed the charges against five people for international organ trafficking. They trafficked poor people into Kosovo after falsely promising them a large amount of money for their kidneys. According to the indictment, the suspects sold the kidneys to the patients for $148,000.00.

ASIA

Australia: Law enforcement is under scrutiny for failing to act on child prostitution case. The new report reveals that police did not act when a 12 year old girl reported her family of pimping on her for prostitution. She was sold online for prostitution as an 18 year old girl by her mother and her mother's boyfriend. When informed of the incident, police said that they could not merely act on rumor.

Global human trafficking roundup (May 3, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Vermont: The Senate passed a bill to crack down on human trafficking in the state. Under the new bill, a convicted trafficker can face up to life in prison and a fine of $500,000.

Georgia: Atlanta City remains as hub of sex trafficking. According to the report, "a slave in Atlanta in 1850 cost around the equivalent of $40,000 today; now, the average price for a slave is $90." The Atlanta City Mayer's office also reports that there is a strong correlation between adult prostitution industry and child sex trafficking in the area.

Florida: Two women are facing multiple charges for having sex with a 17 year old girl and pimping on her. The victim told the police that she had sex with the two suspects twice last month and was sold for sex on two occasions for $40 and later $60.

ASIA

The Philippines: Lawmakers aim to toughen up a human trafficking measure. Under the new legislation, a trafficker can face up to 25 years in jail. The money and properties forfeited from the traffickers will be placed in the trust fund, according to the report.

AFRICA

South Africa: A recent police raid brings back human trafficking under spotlight again. Police uncovered a human trafficking ring run by Nigerian and South African traffickers and now looking into rescuing more than 100 children from the traffickers. Many girls have been trafficked for prostitution while boys are forced into street vending, agriculture, and food services.

Global human trafficking roundup (April 30-May 2, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Missouri: The U.S. Attorney's office is applying to be part of a pilot program to fight against human trafficking. Recently, a man from Ellisville was sentenced five years in prison for his role in a human trafficking scheme. In another case, the U.S. Attorney's office prosecuted an owner of Chinese restaurant for exploiting Mexican and Chinese workers with labor.

New York: A 30 year old man was convicted of pimping on a 11 year old child. The victim met him when she was under foster care in the age of 10. She continued to see him after she moved into her grandmother's care. Soon, the man forced her into prostitution. She said that she had to sleep with several men for $500 or sometimes $1000.

EUROPE

Malta: International human trafficking in Europe is on the spotlight. Many victims from Eastern Europe and Asian countries are trafficked to Europe for forced labor or prostitution. Children are also trafficked in the early age and sold for adoption or child labor.

ASIA

India: Corporates in Goa say that they will support trafficking victims. Corporates agreed to support victim assistance and rehabilitation programs. Goa State Women's Commission therefore plans to form a few committees to implement policies to help the victims with corporates' help.

Iraq: An army reservists save Ugandan women from trafficking in Iraq. According to the report, at least 150 Ugandan women were believed to be lured into coming to Iraq with a promise of jobs on American military base. But, they were sold into wealthy Iraqi families for $3500. To escape physical and sexual assaults by their employers, 17 of the Ugandan women fled to the U.S. military base. Despite the lack of jurisdiction, the army reservists decided to help Ugandan women instead of turning the matter to Iraqi security.

Global human trafficking roundup (April 29, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

District of Columbia: Justice Department says that more than eighty percent of suspected human trafficking incidents between January 2008 and June 2010 involved prostitution or sexual exploitation of children. The Justice Department also reports that 48 percent of the investigated incidents involved adults while 40 percent of them involved children.

Colorado: Hidden camera investigation shows that prostitution is thriving in Colorado Spring. The investigator went into four massage spas with a hidden camera, and all of them offered sex for money. While neighbors say that prostitution at spas are no surprise, law enforcement has not done enough to crack down on prostitution at massage parlors.

Washington: A man pimping a teen girl out of a downtown Seattle hotel was sentenced 20 years in prison. He was the first defendant who was convicted under the new legislation with stiffer penalties. He was arrested during the sting after an undercover cop set up a date at a local hotel on Backpage.com. Police also recovered the photos of the teen and the other woman in lingerie during the investigation.

ASIA

Australia: Child protection agency scrutinized for its failure. The criticism came after the protection worker had no idea that the recommendation was made for the protection order to be lifted, the girl was being prostituted by her mother and her mother's boyfriend for a year. One opposition leader also criticized the current system not allowing the protection worker to talk to the child alone

Global human trafficking roundup (April 28, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Missouri: A man was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in labor trafficking scheme. He was convicted of providing an expertise on how to exploit temporary work visa. The scheme brought 1000 workers from abroad, exploited them with labor, and placed them in a poor living condition.

Canada: Police have arrested six men and two women for trafficking in person. The arrests were made during the investigation, Rescue Innocence that police rescued several women and girls from sex industry. The victims' age ranged between 14 and 23.

Rhode Island: The state's first indoor human trafficking case was settled in Superior Court. The two defendants who are convicted of running a prostitution ring out of an apartment received the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. According to the Attorney General, the case shows that prostitution is not limited to immigrants sold into servitude.

EUROPE

Ireland: A Nigerian woman was charged with running a brothel in Dublin. She was arrested during the Garda National Immigration Bureau's Operation Mast investigation. The police also rescued 11 victims and arrested 40 others during the two year long investigation.

ASIA

Thailand: Authorities raided two brothels that exploited underage girls on Wednesday. During the raid, they rescued more than 30 children in the age between 14 and 17 from Laos. According to the report, the children were lured into working at brothels and prostituted under debt-bondage. The traffickers also starve the children until they were willing to prostitute themselves.

AFRICA

Angola: The vice Attorney General said that Angola lacks the legislation to combat human trafficking. He mentioned that the National Assembly is working on a new and more effective legislation to fight against the crime. He also pledged to train the staff in his department to combat human trafficking.

Global human trafficking roundup (April 27, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Hawaii: An anti-human trafficking bill passed its conference committee. The new bill, if implemented, will criminalize labor trafficking in Hawaii. According to the report, the bill may well be on its way to the governor's desk for his signature after the final reading at House. Hawaii reminds as one of the four states with no comprehensive anti-human trafficking legislation.

New York: Hilton Worldwide signs a tourism Code of Conduct to combat child trafficking and sexual exploitation. Though thousands of hotel industries signed the Code worldwide, Hilton worldwide is only the fourth U.S. company to agree to work with ECPAT-USA.

EUROPE

Czech Republic: Authorities announced that the number of human trafficking cases has increased over the past. The authorities uncovered 24 cases in 2010, an increase from seven in 2009. Also, police rescued 76 victims last year, up from 42 victims in 2009. In particular, the report notes that victims of labor exploitation include Mongolians, Romanians, Bulgarians, and Vietnamese.

ASIA

Tonga: The court made the first conviction in a human trafficking case. A Chinese national was convicted of multiple charges, including human trafficking, keeping a brothel, and running a prostitution ring. The Chinese national is facing maximum penalty of 25 year jail sentence.

India: A former cricketer was charged with human trafficking on Wednesday. According to the report, he allegedly trafficked Indian children to UK with a promise of allowing them to play cricket abroad. He also collected money from the children. Police however discovered that he was traveling with a forged passport, and the cricket team he claimed does not exist.

Malaysia: Law enforcement made over 700 arrests up until March this year. They also rescued 50 women, 55 men, and 23 children during the same period.

Azerbaijan: Authority announced that three women are charged in connection with three human trafficking cases. One woman was charged with trafficking other women for sexual exploitation in UAE, and the other two women were charged with sex trafficking young females to Turkey.

Global human trafficking roundup (April 26, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

New York: Lawmakers proposed a new bill to increase more convictions on human trafficking. The new bill will extend interagency task force on human trafficking until September 1, 2013. The Task Force is set to expire in September 2011. New York has the fourth highest occurrences of human trafficking after California, Texas, and Florida.

Washington: Child trafficking is rampant in the Puget Sound area. Children as young as 11 are sold into prostitution by men who promise them to take care of them. Last year, 23 out 69 child victims were rescued from child prostitution in the Puget Sound area.

South Dakota: U.S. attorney is looking into a 34 year old man's alleged internet operation pimping on women in Chicago, Las Vegas, and South Dakota. He is charged with 24 total counts of pimping and hiring sexual activity and may face charges of human trafficking.

ASIA

Thailand: Police began its investigation on labor trafficking of 60 Burmese workers in garment factory. The workers were freed last week from the slavery labor in the garment factory in Bankok last week. Migrant workers are currently kept at guest houses without a work permit.

Global human trafficking roundup ( April 23-25, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

New York: New York doctor is held in prison in Cambodia for molesting a 14 year old boy. He went to Cambodia for volunteer work at a children's hospital. He was arrested in February for purchasing sex from a minor. If convicted, the doctor could face up to 15 years in jail.

Tennessee: Two Nashville men are charged with child prostitution and child porn. The two were arrested after the law enforcement saw the online advertisement for commercial sex of a minor on Backpage.com. The investigators said that one of the men was a photographer, and another was involved in exploitation.

Rhode Island: The UAE colonel case reflects growing problem of human trafficking in New England. One ICE officer says that ICE launched 651 investigation last year, more than twice the number in 2006.

Washington: Governor signed a bill to step up its effort to fight against human trafficking. The new bill expands the definition of human trafficking to include, forced labor, involuntary servitude, commercial sexual abuse of minor, and criminal sex acts. Law enforcement says that current human trafficking statute makes it harder for them to prosecute traffickers. They hope that the new statute will give clearer definition of the crime and make it easier to prosecute traffickers.

EUROPE

Russia: Thirteen international gang members were charged with trafficking women for prostitution abroad. The defendants include Russian, Israeli, and Moldovan citizens. Also, one of the gang members was a retired top intelligence officer from Russian government. They will be sentenced on Monday at the Moscow district office.

ASIA

UAE: UAE authority sees increasing number of human trafficking cases at courts. According to the annual report, the number of human trafficking cases prosecuted in 2010 were 58, up from 43 cases in 2009. The report also said that labor trafficking cases more common than sex trafficking cases last year.

AFRICA

Kenya: Corruption gives rise to human trafficking of children in Kenya. Many young girls and infants become primary targets of human trafficking to Western Europe. Though children go missing, police takes a little or no actions to fight against the crime. Also, the Kenyan law treats people who have been missing for more than seven years as deceased.