Cambodia Marriage Woman
V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G
The Peoples’ Republic of China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. A significant number of Chinese women and children are trafficked internally for forced marriage and forced labor. Chinese women are at times lured abroad with false promises of legitimate employment and then trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to destinations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America, while Chinese men have been trafficked for forced labor to Europe, South America, and the Middle East. A large number of Chinese men and women are smuggled abroad at enormous personal financial cost and, upon arrival in the destination country, are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or other forms of exploitative labor to repay their debts. They often face exploitative conditions that meet t ... [Read More]
Cambodia
Traditional culture has limited the role of women in government; however, women took an active part in the July 2003 National Assembly elections. The number of women in the National Assembly, Senate, and high‑level government positions increased. There were 22 women in the 123‑seat National Assembly. There were also 11 women in the 61‑seat Senate. After the formation of the new Government, there were 24 women working as ministers, secretaries of state, under‑secretaries of state, and for the NEC. Women also served as advisors, and there were 12 female judges at the Municipal, Provincial, and Appeals Court levels. The Dean of the Royal School of Judges and Prosecutors was also a woman. After the 2002 local elections, women held 933 (8.3 percent) of the 11,261 commune council seats. ... [Read More]
Cambodia
Given the lucrative nature of trafficking in persons and the widespread nature of the problem in the country, it was believed that organized crime groups, employment agencies, and marriage brokers all had some degree of involvement. In one area on the Thai border, a recent report estimated that as many as 100 traffickers were carrying out operations. A local NGO revealed clear patterns and networks in the process of buying babies or children for the purposes of adoption and trafficking. Recruiters preyed on poor women, especially divorcees or widows, who were pregnant and about to give birth, or who had young children. Official paperwork was signed by orphanage directors and local officials who falsely stated that the children were found abandoned in provinces outside of Phnom Penh. Many times these officials were bribed. A variety of methods were used by traffickers. In many cases, victims were led astray by promises of legitimate employment. In other cases, acquaintances, friend ... [Read More]
International Women's Issues Newsletter: Winter 2004
Journalist for Cambodian Radio station FM 102 interviews woman in rural Cambodia. Photo courtesy of the Asia Foundation.The station is on the air 7 days a week, 15 hours per day, with programming on issues such as women and law, Khmer history, trafficking in persons, HIV/AIDS, violence against women, and poverty. The station also hosts popular call-in shows and offers free time for NGOs operating in Cambodia to talk about their projects. According to Chea Sundaneth, the Co-Director of the Women’s Media Centre, "FM 102 is the only radio station in Ca ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: Burma, Cambodia, North Korea Cited for Human Trafficking Abuses
The Peoples' Republic of China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. A significant number of Chinese women and children are trafficked internally for forced marriage and forced labor. Chinese women are at times lured abroad with false promises of legitimate employment and then trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to destinations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America, while Chinese men have been trafficked for forced labor to Europe, South America, and the Middle East. A large number of Chinese men and women are smuggled abroad at enormous personal financial cost and, upon arrival in the destination country, are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or other forms of exploitative labor to repay their debts. They often face exploitative conditions that meet the definition of involuntary servitude. Women from Burma, North Korea, R ... [Read More]
Vietnam
There were reports that some women from Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta who married men from Taiwan were forced into prostitution after their arrival in Taiwan. There was reported trafficking in women to the Macau Special Administrative Region of China with the assistance of organizations in China that were ostensibly marriage service bureaus, international labor organizations, and travel agencies. After arrival, women were forced into conditions similar to indentured servitude; some were forced into prostitution. In 2002, the Government suspended the licenses of marriage mediation services and transferred their function to the Women's Union. The services had helped to arrange marriages between women and foreigners, primarily Taiwanese men. Government officials still noted that it is difficult to obtain information from Taiwanese officials on cases of alleged trafficking in Taiwan. During the year, the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union established a pilot program to counsel and assi ... [Read More]
I. Introduction
SINGAPORE: Karin, a young mother of two, was looking for a job in Sri Lanka when a man befriended her and convinced her that she could land a better job in Singapore as a waitress. He arranged and paid for her travel. A Sri Lankan woman met Karin upon arrival in Singapore, confiscated her passport, and took her to a hotel. The woman made it clear that Karin had to submit to prostitution to pay back the money it cost for her to be flown into Singapore. Karin was taken to an open space for sale in the sex market where she joined women from Indonesia, Thailand, India, and China to be inspected and purchased by men from Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia and Africa. The men would take the women to nearby hotels and rape them. Karin was forced to have sex with an average of 15 men a day or night. She developed a serious illness, and three months after her arrival was arrested by the Singap ... [Read More]
Vietnam
There are reports that some women from HCMC and the Mekong Delta who married men from Taiwan were forced into prostitution after their arrival in Taiwan. There is reported trafficking in women to the Macau Special Administrative Region of China with the assistance of organizations in China that are ostensibly marriage service bureaus, international labor organizations, and travel agencies. After arrival women can be forced into conditions similar to indentured servitude; some may be forced into prostitution. ... [Read More]
Thailand
The Constitution provides for the equality of all citizens; however, some inequalities in the law remained. For example, marriage and family laws discriminate against women. A man may sue for divorce on the grounds that his wife committed adultery, but a woman faces the additional legal burden of proving that her husband has acknowledged publicly another woman as his wife. ... On September 25, the Civil Court ruled that the Royal Thai Police and homicide investigator pay a combined total of US $450,000 (18 million baht) to two persons wrongfully convicted for the 1986 murder of a Thai-American woman. The Court found that the police and investigator had colluded to frame innocent persons. ... [Read More]
IIIa. Country Narratives - Countries A through G
Afghanistan (Tier 3)Afghanistan is a country of origin and transit for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and labor. Internal trafficking of women and children for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor also occurs. Afghanistan was under two different governments during this period: the Taliban and the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA). Until December 22, 2001, when the AIA took over there was no functioning central government. During most of 2001, the Taliban, a Pashtun-dominated fundamentalist Islamic movement, controlled approximately ninety percent of the country. Taliban forces were responsible for disappearances of women and children, many of whom were trafficked to Pakistan and the Gulf States. Under the Taliban, women and girls were subjected to rape, kidnapping, and forced marriage. Since the AIA took over, there ar ... [Read More]
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