Sunday, November 29, 2009

Human Trafficking



According to Wikipedia, Human Trafficking refers to the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or otherwise removed from their home or country, and then compelled to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative. The victims of human trafficking can be used in a variety of situations, including prostitution, forced labor (including bonded labor or debt bondage) and other forms of involuntary servitude.

It is not a fresh issue of seeing human trafficking all around the world. Most of the ethnic immigrants tend to seek for a proper job when they move out their village. However, luckless victims might met the sex brokers, becomes one of their source in human trafficking. The so called "agents" can even be the people they know, for examples aunts, uncles or friends by telling them a fantastic story life, enticing them to leave their home. There was a case which a woman from Vietnam, arrived in Malaysia by valid means with the purpose of finding jobs. However, it turned out to be a nightmare where she was taken away by a human trafficking syndicate to a house in Taman Usahawan in Kepong.
In addition, there was a hot issues of Human Trafficking on the Malaysian- Thai border. One of the victim who is from central Burma who worked in Kuala Lumpur was arrested by police and immigration officers, and the worst is that they were placed in the hands of traffickers later!
The traffickers threatened the victims by asking them to pay RM 1,900 to 2,300 if they want to return to Burma. The victims also pointed out that the gang leader are normally Thai or Malaysian. Normally, those who can't pay are exploit by the traffickers.How true is issue which stated that there was a good relationship between Malaysian and Thai authorities involving human trafficking? it indeed need a thorough investigation by the Government!



In Malaysia, under Section 13, Any person who traffics in person not being a child, for the purpose of exploitation, by one or more of the following means:

(a) threat;
(b) use of force or other forms of coercion;
(c) abduction;
(d) fraud;
(e) deception;
(f) abuse of power;
(g) abuse of the position of vulnerability of a person to an
act of trafficking in persons; or
(h) the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to obtain
the consent of a person having control over the trafficked
person,
commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than three years but not exceeding twenty years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Image taken from: http://www.humantraffic.org/

Besides, Malaysia-Australia also agree to fight for Human Trafficking in working visit of Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein to Australia. A close cooperation will be addressed and the efforts of programmes should be carried out to deter the issue. He also added that the involving agencies including police, the Immigration Department, Foreign Ministry, the Attorney-General's Department and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

Not only the authorities and immigration officers, the public, or even the societies needed to be educated so that they won't fall into the trap of traffickers. Even though the process of law to protect victims has been pushed, without the lead of government in stamping out trafficking, the law will be worthless too.

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