14:22, July 19, 2011
by Feng YingqiuThe Myanmar authorities have taken some fresh measures in combating against human trafficking, targeting some major regions and states where such cases mostly occurred.
The authorities have formed 26 special police squads to curb cross-border trafficking of women persuaded by brokers.
As the first phase of the measure, the squad members targeted the country's Shan state, which will be followed by Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Taninthayi, Sagaing Magway, Kayin and Mon regions and states.
Human trafficking was mainly found in 30 townships out of 300 across the country.
As part of efforts to bring down human trafficking cases in the country, knowledge dissemination work such as distributing pamphlets containing information on human trafficking, erecting billboards, sticking stickers on city buses were done.
Over the past several years, through the arrangement of the Social Welfare Department, thousands of trafficked Myanmar people were repatriated from neighboring Thailand, China, Malaysia, Japan, Bangladesh, Jamaica and Singapore as well as China's Macao and Taiwan.
In 2010, a total of 381 people including 292 women were trafficked, according to official statistics.
The Myanmar anti-human trafficking squad at central level is working together with international non-governmental organizations to repatriate those victimized by social problems mostly linked with forced marriage, forced prostitution, forced labor, forced begging and child trafficking.
So far, 348 trafficked victims were sent back to Myanmar, of whom 183 from China, 14 from Thailand and Malaysia, 10 from Indonesia and 7 from Timor-Leste.
Domestically, Shan state-North, Yangon region, Kachin state, Mon state and Mandalay region stood the areas where most of the human trafficking cases occurred.
Myanmar's special police squads have warned against the trafficking of women across the border to foreign countries through persuasion and calling on people to take vigilance against such brokers who used to persuade awareness-lacking women to get married to some foreign businessmen to attain their targets.
As one of the measures in prevention against occurrence of more such cases, the Myanmar authorities gave educative talks in border areas.
According to the report finding of a five-year anti-human trafficking program (2006-2010) of the authorities, most human trafficking cases occurred with Myanmar's Shan state-North and Yangon region out of five main regions and states over the past five years.
A total of 253 human trafficking cases were reported in Shan state-North with 161 offenders arrested, while 73 such cases were registered in Yangon's 10 townships with 96 charged, said the anti- human trafficking authorities at central level.
The specific areas in Shan state-North where human trafficking cases were rampant are Kutkai, Laukkai, Muse and Thipaw, while those areas in Yangon division packed with such crimes are Hlaingtharya, Thanlyin, North Okkalapa and Dagon Seikkan.
Another three-year similar program is being continuously implemented starting 2011.
In dealing with repatriated victims, the government made arrangements to help them undergo vocational training mainly at the cottage industry in Mawlamyaing, Mon state and then sent back to their native towns for reunification with their respective families.
The government has so far built eight rehabilitation centers offering educational programs and vocational skills training for the returned victims.
Myanmar promulgated the anti-human trafficking law in 2005 and has been cooperating with the international community in combating human trafficking and carrying out rescue and rehabilitation programs for trafficked victims.
Neighboring countries and organizations with which Myanmar is cooperating include China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, the Russian Federation, Vietnam, the United Nation organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGO).
To promote cooperation with neighboring countries in cracking down on human trafficking at the basic level, Myanmar has so far set up border liaison offices in Muse with China and in Tachilek, Myawaddy and Kawthoung with Thailand
Coordination is also being made for the move involving the UNODC and UN Inter Agency Project (UNIPA) on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).
Source: Xinhua
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