Human Trafficking in South Asia

South Asia: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives

     

The first video is a collaborative effort by members of the Indian film industry and the UN to promote awareness on the issue of human trafficking in South Asia, specifically. The second video validates the need for the first by revealing the lack of awareness and concern. Some that seem to know about the issue of human trafficking have accepted it to be a flaw of their society. One such person already having accepted that it's an issue to be addressed, but not to be solved anytime soon..."maybe in 100 or 200 years". It is this attitude that plagues much of the world--a belief that we cannot do anything personally, that someone else should and will pick up the responsibility eventually. 

Corruption within governmental institutions combined with a lack of education and poverty create the ideal environment for criminals of the trafficking industry. South Asian countries are home to some of the most corrupt policemen and inefficient governments. India, being the world's largest democracy, is incapable of attending to all the people that must be heard. Government officials and policemen are easily bribed. In fact, it would be of little surprise to see these government workers taking part in the crimes. This, of course, is not an isolated situation to South Asia. Nevertheless, government officials have little to fear because their actions would not be judged as one may think. In South Asian countries--particularly in more rural, conservative areas--victims are treated as though they are accomplices to the crimes. Sexual violence seems to bring more dishonor to the victim and the victim's family, instead of to the perpetrator. For this reason, families & communities are less likely to report trafficking crimes or even welcome rescued victims when they return home. These backwards beliefs need to go because rehabilitation efforts will be hindered if victims are rejected by their own society. In the meantime, rehabilitation centers are focused on providing victims with skills that will help them get jobs and prosper as individuals without relying on anyone else. There are good efforts and initiatives being taken that we can learn from (See Link #4 below). The UN has a branch dedicated to fighting human trafficking and is a great resource to learn more from. UNICEF is another organization whose goals coincide with ours. Natural disasters like tsunamis have brought great imbalance to cities and societies, leaving orphaned children to be taken advantage of. This has been witnessed numerous times following the relatively recent Indo-Pak earthquakes and Sri Lankan tsunami, for instance. 

Ending human slavery is a daunting task, especially when our natural and societal environments seem to help propagate the crimes. But that is precisely why we have to try. Human trafficking is NOT a well-hidden enterprise. It is a booming business that has managed to flourish in our ignorance. A time has come when underaged children are advertised on Craigslist. "Domestic workers" are brought into America from foreign countries and are exploited. The fact that these transactions can take place online, is highly disturbing. America's criticism of India & Pakistan's governmental policies regarding trafficking has definitely caused an uproar. Aside from upsetting those that are already dedicated to the cause, American criticism has definitely helped open the eyes of many. America plays a crucial role in the world and has a great amount of power in influencing action. By reminding our own government to enforce strict laws in relation to trafficking crimes, the whole world benefits by our example. When America labels countries as more dangerous or at-risk for human trafficking, these countries have much to lose in terms of global respect, tourism, exchange programs, and even their place in the international market. We have a great responsibility that is often underestimated when it is actually the most important. 

Interested?

Read Jan Heeswijk's "Combating Trafficking of Women and Children in South Asia," an in-depth analysis of the legal framework in South Asia, as well as contributing factors to slavery and other vulnerabilities within the region.

Recent Updates on Trafficking in India

The UN Initiative to Fight Trafficking in Delhi, India in 2007

Related Links:

UNODC: What is Human Trafficking?

Trafficked from Nepal into India: Video Documentary

An Assessment of Trafficking in Bangladesh, Pakistan & Afghanistan

Slavery Within Nepal

A Great Resource on Child Labor Initiatives & Issues

Craigslist: Report Exploitation of Minors 

Save the Children

Human Trafficking in Western Europe

Western Europe serves mainly as a region of destination for slaves from Russia, Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. It is estimated that 700,000 humans are trafficked into Western Europe, destined for work in the brothels, bonded labor factories, or domestic servitude. However, it's always likely that these numbers are higher, as the nature of the industry requires discrepancy.






Here's a very recent article (December 2008) about brothel raids in Ireland:
Raids in Ireland

One especially interesting point surrounds the debate over the legalization of prostitution, which is argued to be an avenue of empowerment for sex workers and a way to ally law enforment with sex workers. Unfortunately, recent studies have found that foreigners (most of then African women) make up some 70 percent of people in Germany's sex trade, with the same pattern repeating in other Western European countries. Women are tricked into moving to Europe on promises of work or marriage (a typical case is that a trafficker will 'woo' a woman and invite her to travel abroad with him, where he sells her). Once sold into the industry, women are physically and emotionally threatened in order to prevent them from trying to escape, either by way of brutal beatings, threatening her family, or even by performing 'voodoo' ceremonies' (in most cultures people put a lot of faith on spirituality, and these ceremonies can be terrifying and damaging). All of this considered, Europe is struggling to find ways to legally and practically distinguish between legal, voluntary prostitution and forced prostitution. Even more importantly, they are working on liberating and rehabilitating ex-slaves in such a way that does not criminalize them for a life they did not choose.



More information on the link between prostitution and sex slavery:

Here is an interesting article that seems to treat the sex slave trade as a problem only Europe is dealing with, when in reality their problems are surely mirrored in the US, as proven by experience and facts: Trouble in Europe

Dreams of a better life often end in a brothel for the victims of human trafficking, with the people smugglers and slave traders who bring them there making a lucrative living from their misery. Protecting trafficking victims' human rights in destination countries before and after they get away is one of the topics the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is looking at during a human trafficking conference beginning in Helsinki on Thursday. In the US as well, anti-trafficking intiative must be collaborative with initiatives to fight poverty, corruption, and exploitation.

Reccomendations for further reading:

Selling Olga: Stories of Human Trafficking by Louisa Waugh

"Following three years of in-depth research, award-winning author and journalist Louisa Waugh has produced a vivid, unflinching account of how this immoral commerce operates and why it thrives. Throughout Eastern Europe, a combination of war and poverty has led to women being sold in bars, confined, and coerced into sex work. And while Waugh focuses especially on one woman, Olga, who tells her own story in angry, heartbreaking detail, she also introduces us to many others across Europe including Nigerian women in Italy and migrants trapped in other forms of forced labor. She helps us understand why, in spite of global awareness, relentless anti-trafficking campaigns, and increasing numbers of imprisonments, this type of crime hasn’t disappeared…and why, in spite of everything, there is hope for change."

Further Information and Helpful Links:

Human trafficking- a problem Europe can't ignore

Slaves at the Heart of Europe
Helping Victims of Human Trafficking

Sex Slavery: Living the American Nightmare

See article <<<

“I could go to a truck stop in South Texas right now and get on a CB radio and ask for some sweet stuff, and someone’s going to come out and offer something to sell,” Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Burchell said.

A $9.5 billion-a-year industry
Federal officials agree that the trafficking of human beings as sex slaves is far more prevalent than is popularly understood. While saying it is difficult to pinpoint the scope of the industry, given its shadowy nature, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials estimated that it likely generates more than $9.5 billion a year.

Last year alone, the FBI opened more than 225 human trafficking investigations in the United States. Figures for 2008 are not yet available, but in a coordinated nationwide sweep in July, federal, state and local authorities made more than 640 arrests and rescued 47 children in just three days.

In congressional testimony this year, FBI Director Robert Mueller called sex trafficking “a significant and persistent problem in the U.S. and around the world.”

Slavery in the Chocolate Industry:

IMPORTANT POST: CCAT Weekend & Pertinent Links

So. The CCAT event that we are all ultimately working towards. Let me fill you in on a loose image of the event that is open to change (and will also be defined by our budget, which is in need of IU funding, which we will hopefully get).

THE BIG CCAT WEEKEND

Kevin Bales is a renowned expert on the issue of human trafficking and is the founder of the organization Free The Slaves; we have contacted him and he is very much interested in coming to IU, but he has a few requests that we need to fulfill: a) he needs 3 speaking platforms b) press coverage and c) a certain number of people (we're waiting for a reply with numbers) must attend one of the events.

The 3 speaking platforms we plan on providing are:
A) Classes--he can lecture in classes that are related to the issues of human rights, gender equality, criminal justice, social work, etc. This would happen on a Friday (or Thursday & Friday)

B) Conference--he will be amongst professors and members of the Bloomington community that voice out their concerns and their role in the fight against human injustices. (We were thinking of funding up to 3 guest speakers--airfare and hotel--so if you have any suggestions, please let us know) Kevin Bales would clearly offer a more global and scholarly perspective of the issue, but it would also be great to hear the stories of workers/residents from the Middleway House, for instance, which is a shelter for abused women and children. My vision of this is for it to be open and welcoming to the Bloomington community and not just students/faculty of IU. We are currently in the process of finding interested organizations on campus, such as yours, to help spread this message as far and wide as we can. Also, all groups involved would have the chance to speak for their group and their particular cause if desired. This would be Saturday afternoon?

C) Concert--this would be the final part of the event and I envisioned it to be a semi-formal sort of occasion (at which we would have a light dinner or an array of appetizers and drinks for the guests), and affordable tickets that could be purchased in advance or at the door. Possible venues include Alumni Hall at the IMU, or a room at the Neal Marshall center (that I have yet to see, but have been told that it is a good location and does not have nearly as many restrictions as the IMU). Any other suggestions? If we were to hold the concert or conference in the IMU & included food, we would be dishing out $600 for the room and $1500 for food because they don't allow non-IMU catered food... Anyway, the event would consist of various performances by groups and individuals on campus and possibly a children's performance by the kids from the MiddleWay House (just a thought). There are no limitations to performances that I can currently think of, but I hope to bring in cultural performances to expose people to the diversity that is present but forgotten at IU. (After conference, Saturday night)


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CALL + RESPONSE is a Fair Trade film production that is being screened in a limited number of theaters across the nation. A member suggested that CCAT take a trip to see it in either Cincinnati or Chicago if anyone is interested. Regardless, I recommend visiting the site: http://www.callandresponse.com/ to discover ways by which we can continue to fight slavery. There is significant change we can make in many lives by raising a very feasible amount of money. Much of our efforts right now seem like they will be focused on our major CCAT event in the Spring (unless CCAT is granted a grand sum of money in the near future) so this wouldn't be our primary focus this semester--but if our event is profitable, then this is definitely something to look into. The website provides valuable links (check out http://slaverymap.org/ )and other resources so I recommend that you check it out!