Sex trafficking in Myanmar

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Sex trafficking in Myanmar is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Myanmar is primarily a source and transit country for sexually trafficked persons. [1]

Contents

Sex trafficking victims in the country are from all ethnic groups in Myanmar and foreigners. Myanmar citizens, primarily women and girls, have been sex trafficked into other countries in Asia and different continents. They are forced into prostitution, marriages, and or pregnancies. [2] Sex trafficked victims are physically and psychologically harmed. [3] [4] They contract sexually transmitted diseases from rapes, and abuse and malnutrition are common. Some women and girls are tortured and or murdered.

Sex trafficking and exploitation is spread throughout all levels of Myanmar society. Male and female perpetrators in Myanmar come from diverse backgrounds. A number of traffickers are members of or facilitated by criminal organizations. Some government officials, troops, and police, as well as foreigners, have been complicit in sex trafficking in Myanmar. [5] [6] [7]

The magnitude of sex trafficking in Myanmar is difficult to know because of the lack reporting and data, the secretive nature of sex trafficking crimes, and other factors. [4] The enforcement of sex trafficking laws and investigating and prosecuting of cases have been hindered by conflict, political instability, land confiscation, poor border management, [8] corruption, and indifference. [3] [9] The government of Myanmar has not made significant efforts in reducing sex trafficking. [7] The internal conflict in Myanmar has caused an increase in sex trafficking. [5] [4] Myanmar armed forces operations' in several areas of the country continue to displace many Rohingya and members of other ethnic groups, making them vulnerable to sex trafficking. [7] [10]

Victims

Myanmar women and children are sex trafficked in and out of all the administrative divisions of the country. Myanmar, administrative divisions - de - colored 2010.svg
Myanmar women and children are sex trafficked in and out of all the administrative divisions of the country.

Myanmar women and girls are sex trafficked into China, [11] Thailand, [12] [13] Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, [14] and other countries throughout the world. A number of women are drugged during the ordeal. [4] [10] [11] Victims' documents and passports, if in their possession, are stolen. [15] They are forced in marriages or brothels, and unfree labour in homes or on farms. [15] Many are tied or locked up and abused. [16]

Women who escaped and made it to the Chinese police were often jailed and deported, while their traffickers and buyers remained free. [5] Victims face stigma in their communities and sometimes from their families. [4] Some victims get abducted and sex trafficked again. [9] [17]

Perpetrators

The traffickers are often part of criminal organizations. Some are government officials, military officers and enlisted men, or police. The perpetrators are sometimes the victims' family members or friends. [4] [18] [17]

Anti-sex trafficking efforts

The government has made some efforts in combating sex trafficking, but these are still lacking. Myanmar police are using the country's anti-money laundering law to dismantle the financial network that supports the crime. [18]

Corruption

Corruption and impunity have hindered the country's anti-trafficking efforts. [7] Some police have demanded bribes in order to return victims to their families. [9]

Government response problems

The Myanmar government has been criticized for its response in reducing sex trafficking. [4] [7]

Coordination between police in Myanmar and in China is poor. [5]

Non-governmental organizations

Eden Ministry Myanmar reaches, rescues, and restores sex trafficked victims in the country. It is supported by the United Nations Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking. [19]

Other nongovernmental organizations disseminate anti-sex trafficking pamphlets and social media messages. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking</span> Trade of sexual slaves

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. This includes any sexual exploitation of adults or minors, including child sex tourism (CST) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Bangladesh</span> Sex work and its regulation in Bangladesh

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Bangladesh. Prostitutes must register and state an affidavit stating that they are entering prostitution of their own free choice and that they are unable to find any other work. Bangladeshi prostitutes often suffer poor social conditions and are frequently socially degraded.

According to the United States Department of State, "Thailand is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking." Thailand's relative prosperity attracts migrants from neighboring countries who flee conditions of poverty and, in the case of Burma, military repression. Significant illegal migration to Thailand presents traffickers with opportunities to coerce or defraud undocumented migrants into involuntary servitude or sexual exploitation. Police who investigated reaching high-profile authorities also received death threats in 2015.

Vietnam is primarily a source country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children are trafficked to the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C), Cambodia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Macau for sexual exploitation. Vietnamese women are trafficked to the P.R.C., Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea via fraudulent or misrepresented marriages for commercial exploitation or forced labor. Vietnam is also a source country for men and women who migrate willingly and legally for work in the construction, fishing, or manufacturing sectors in Malaysia, Taiwan, P.R.C., Thailand, and the Middle East but subsequently face conditions of forced labor or debt bondage. Vietnam is a destination country for Cambodian children trafficked to urban centers for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Vietnam has an internal trafficking problem with women and children from rural areas trafficked to urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Vietnam is increasingly a destination for child sex tourism, with perpetrators from Japan, the Republic of Korea, the P.R.C., Taiwan, the UK, Australia, Europe, and the U.S. In 2007, an Australian non-governmental organization (NGO) uncovered 80 cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children by foreign tourists in the Sa Pa tourist area of Vietnam alone.

Indonesia is a source, transit, and destination country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. The greatest threat of trafficking facing Indonesian men and women is that posed by conditions of forced labor and debt bondage in more developed Asian countries and the Middle East.

Laos is primarily a source country for women and girls trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and labor exploitation as domestics or factory workers in Thailand. Some Lao men, women, and children migrate to neighboring countries in search of better economic opportunities but are subjected to conditions of forced or bonded labor or forced prostitution after arrival. Some Lao men who migrate willingly to Thailand are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude in the Thai fishing and construction industry. To a lesser extent Laos is a country of transit for Vietnamese, Chinese and Burmese women destined for Thailand. Laos’ potential as a transit country is on the rise with the construction of new highways linking the People’s Republic of China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia through Laos. Internal trafficking is also a problem that affects young women and girls who are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation in urban areas.

Sex trafficking in Thailand is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Kingdom of Thailand. Thailand is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sex trafficking. The sexual exploitation of children in Thailand is a problem. In Thailand, close to 40,000 children under the age of 16 are believed to be in the sex trade, working in clubs, bars, and brothels.

Malaysia is a destination and a source and transit country for women and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions of forced prostitution and for men, women, and children who are in conditions of forced labour.

Human trafficking is a major and complex societal issue in Myanmar, which is both a source and destination for human trafficking. Both major forms of human trafficking, namely forced labor and forced prostitution, are common in the country, affecting men, women, and children. Myanmar's systemic political and economic problems have made the Burmese people particularly vulnerable to trafficking. Men, women, and children who migrate abroad to Thailand, Malaysia, China, Bangladesh, India, and South Korea for work are often trafficked into conditions of forced or bonded labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Economic conditions within Myanmar have led to the increased legal and illegal migration of citizens regionally and internationally, often to destinations as far from Myanmar as the Middle East. As of July 2022, Myanmar remained on the lowest tier of countries in the Trafficking in Persons Report. The border regions of Myanmar, including Shwe Kokko, are known human trafficking destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in China</span>

China is a main source and also a significant transit and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labour and forced prostitution. Women and children from China are trafficked to Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America, predominantly Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour. Women and children from Myanmar, Vietnam, Mongolia, former USSR, North Korea, Romania, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Ghana are trafficked to China for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Southeast Asia</span> Human trafficking

Human trafficking in Southeast Asia has long been a problem for the area and is still prevalent today. It has been observed that as economies continue to grow, the demand for labor is at an all-time high in the industrial sector and the sex tourism sector. A mix of impoverished individuals and the desire for more wealth creates an environment for human traffickers to benefit in the Southeast Asia region. Many nations within the region have taken preventive measures to end human trafficking within their borders and punish traffickers operating there.

.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual slavery in China</span>

Sexual slavery in China is sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the People's Republic of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in Vietnam</span>

Sex trafficking in Vietnam is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam is a source and, to a lesser extent, destination country for sexually trafficked persons.

Sex trafficking in Laos is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Laos is primarily an origin country for sexually trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in Cambodia</span>

Sex trafficking in Cambodia is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Cambodia is a country of origin, destination and transit for sex trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in Malaysia</span>

Sex trafficking in Malaysia is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in Malaysia. Malaysia is a country of origin, destination and transit for sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking in the Philippines is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of the Philippines. The Philippines is a country of origin and, to a lesser extent, a destination and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in South Korea</span> Overview of sex trafficking in South Korea

Sex trafficking in South Korea is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of Korea. South Korea is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons. Sex trafficking victims in the country are from South Korea and foreigners.

Cybersex trafficking, live streaming sexual abuse, webcam sex tourism/abuse or ICTs -facilitated sexual exploitation is a cybercrime involving sex trafficking and the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and/or rape on webcam.

References

  1. ↑ "Myanmar UN ACT". UN ACT.
  2. ↑ "UN warns of trafficking, sexual abuse in shadow of Rohingya refugee crisis". UN News. November 14, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Myanmar's trafficked brides". The ASEAN Post. March 31, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Give Us a Baby and We'll Let You Go: Trafficking of Kachin Brides from Myanmar to China". Human Rights Watch. March 21, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "It's a Booming Business: Trafficking Myanmar 'Brides' to China". Human Rights Watch. March 21, 2019.
  6. ↑ "The human trafficking scourge". Frontier Myanmar. October 17, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "2019 Trafficking in Persons Report: Burma". U.S. Department of State.
  8. 1 2 "Trafficked to China to marry, a Myanmar woman hopes to save others from same fate". Reuters. August 23, 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 "Thousands of Myanmar women forced into marriages in China". DW News. July 12, 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Report: Myanmar, China failing to stop 'bride' trafficking". AP News. March 21, 2019.
  11. 1 2 "Myanmar officials blame human trafficking on poverty, unemployment". Myanmar Times. September 7, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Thailand and Myanmar agree to the return of 700 victims of human trafficking". Asia News. August 13, 2019.
  13. ↑ "1,807 human trafficking victims rescued in Thailand in 2019". New Straits Times. January 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ "NGO Report: Malaysia Now a Destination for Sex-Trafficking of Rohingya Girls". Benar News. December 20, 2019.
  15. 1 2 "POVERTY AND CONFLICT IN MYANMAR FUEL HUMAN TRAFFICKING". Caritas. 23 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "Give Us a Baby and We'll Let You Go:Trafficking of Kachin Brides from Myanmar to China". Human Rights Watch. March 21, 2019.
  17. 1 2 "Interview: Why 'Brides' From Myanmar Are Trafficked to China". Human Rights Watch. March 21, 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Yangon makes little progress against human traffickers". Myanmar Times. September 14, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Our Funded Projects Around the World". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
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