A military officer is talking with residents about anti-human trafficking. (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The National Assembly’s Judicial Committeediscussed the implementation of anti-human trafficking regulations between 2012and 2017 at its ongoing 10th plenary session in Hanoi on August 23.
According to official statistics, the period saw 3,090 people suspectedof being trafficked, of whom 2,571 had returned. More than 90 percent of thevictims were women and children, the majority of whom were from ethnic minoritiesin rural or remote areas.
About 80 percent of female victims encountered forced marriages andsexual exploitation overseas, while others were sold for the purpose of forcedlabour. Traffickers were often criminals with a human-trafficking history orforeigners working with Vietnamese partners to form trans-border networks ofhuman trafficking.
The police had taken criminal proceedings against 1,021 cases with 2,035suspects. The figures accounted for 97.3 percent of the total cases reported andhandled by the police.
At the session, Nguyen Van Pha, deputy head of the committee, presentedthe committee’s report and updated participants on new people-trafficking methodsemployed by traffickers. There is now a growing trend amongst human traffickersof approaching their targets via social networks and smart phones, rather thandirect meetings as they had previously.
Participants said it is hard to detect traffickers and investigate them,adding that many cases were only uncovered a long time after victims had beensmuggled overseas.
Many attributed shortcomings in the anti-human trafficking work toineffective communication campaigns in localities, particularly for residents inremote and rural areas.
Minister of Labour, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung agreedthat stepping up public awareness activities is a must, as many localities haveyet to pay proper attention to the matter.
On a separate matter, he also recommended during the plenary session thatlocal authorities should focus on poverty alleviation, illiteracy eradication,and the betterment of local livelihoods, particularly ethnic people.–VNA
VNA
