Burma: Increase in Kachin women trafficking to China- KWAT

August 5, 2008 – (Kachin News) The economic slump in Burma coupled with human rights violations by the Burmese military regime has led to Burmese women being trafficked to neighbouring countries like China. The trafficking is increasing by the year, said a Kachin women’s group.

A new report “Eastward Bound” launched today by the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) said about two-thirds of the women and children from Kachin State and about one-third from northern Shan State were trafficked to China.

About 25 per cent of trafficked women were under 18 while most girls were as young as 14. The majority of the women and girls are from poor quarters of larger towns such as Myitkyina, Waingmaw (Waimaw), Bhamo (Manmaw) in Kachin State and Kutkai in Northeast Shan State, the new report added.

"Kachin women were mostly trafficked to China according to our research while others included Shan, Palaung, Burmese and Chinese women from Burma,” said a researcher of the report.

According to the report, women and girls were trafficked when they sought work to support their families. Most women were trafficked to provide wives for Chinese men.

A woman quoted in the new report “Eastward Bound” was sold as a bride in eastern China. She said that she was sold as a bride for 24,000 Yuan (US$ 3,500). Her husband seemed to be mentally retarded and she had to work on the farm.

"I was never allowed out alone, and even when I went shopping someone would always accompany me.”

The new report released by KWAT documented trafficking cases which occurred between 2004 and mid – 2007 involving 163 women and girls.

The Burma’s ruling junta so-called State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has come up with an Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law in September 2005 to address trafficking in a more substantive way and ensure that the rights of trafficked victims were protected and that traffickers were severely punished.

"Even though the SPDC has made the law, it’s just to show the international community that they are into an anti-trafficking programme and are taking action against those who break the law,” said a researcher from KWAT.

[An upate report on trafficking of Kachin women on the China-Burma border by KWAT. ]

There has also seen false trafficking charges under the new law and it was testified in a report that a woman made false accusations of trafficking and that she was raped while in detention.

"I was guarded and while I was sleeping at 3 a.m. the chairman came and raped me. I shouted out but those nearby didn’t come to help,” a woman said.

A woman quoted in a report said that she escaped and was sent back to the Burmese border (on Ruili River) by the Chinese police. However, the Burmese border police verbally assaulted her and refused to accept her. So the Chinese police took her back to the Ruili side and left her in a park.

"Anti-trafficking laws are meaningless under a regime that systematically violates people’s rights, and whose policies are driving citizens to migrate,” said Ms. Gum Hkawng, a researcher and anti-trafficking programme coordinator of the KWAT.

According to a Trafficking in Persons Report 2008 by the US State Department, Burma is a source country for women, children and men trafficked for the purpose of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation.

Burmese women and children are trafficked to Thailand, the People’s Republic of China, Bangladesh, Malaysia, South Korea and Macau for sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and forced labour.

From:http://www.kachinnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=349:increase-in-k