Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia, by Teresa Kok (Malaysia), presented at International Conference on The Role of Southeast Asian Parliamentarians in Security Policy Review, EDSA Shangrila Hotel, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 10-11.
First of all, I would like to thank the organizers of this seminar, namely FES, DCAF & ISDS for inviting me to attend this seminar on security policy review.
Human trafficking is a serious problem in Southeast Asia countries. Socio economic and developmental disparities are the main cause of irregular migration flows and cross border movement and or human trafficking. However, human trafficking is not only transnational, from one country to another, but it can also be within that country from poorer to a more affluent region. Trafficking in our region is complex and multifaceted. There are trafficking to destinations within the region and there are trafficking to other regions across the globe.
Because of the shadowy nature of human trafficking activities, collecting accurate statistics on them is impossible. The magnitude of the problem is a complex and difficult task, thus, at best, we have to rely on estimates.
It is believed each year, between 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders.
Of these, 70 percent are female and 50 percent are children. Most of these victims are forced into the commercial sex trade.
The US State Department estimates 700,000 women and children are trafficked globally every year. While there are no accurate statistics, estimates vary from 500,000 to as many as two million.
The trafficking of women and children for prostitution and forced labor in and from Southeast Asia is a lucrative and well-organized ”growth industry” in the region.
Southeast Asia accounts for about a third of the estimated 700,000 annual victims, most of whom are trafficked within Asia and about 25,000-35,000 of the trafficked Asians enter North America.
Reasons for Supply & Demand of Migrants in the RegionFactors affecting regional migration are: inadequate employment conditions and incomes; disparities between income and living standards; political and economic dislocation; limited access to legal migration opportunities; gender and other forms of discrimination; family stress etc.
Factors fueling employer demand include, but are not limited to: dynamic economic growth; perceived labour shortages, mostly unskilled in certain sectors; porous borders exploited by brokers and agents; inadequate enforcement of labour regulations/standards; employer dependence on migrant labour etc.
Trafficking in persons, especially women, is the world’s fastest growing low risk, high yield criminal enterprise. It is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are often forced, defrauded or coerced into sexual or labour exploitation.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates there are 12.3 million people in forced labour, bonded labour, forced child labour and sexual servitude at any given time. Other estimates range from four million to 27 million.
Prostitution and the trafficking of women have become the third highest ‘black market’ income earner after drugs and the arms trade.
Malaysia is reported to be the largest receiving country for migrant labour in ASEAN region. It is estimated that we have a thriving sex industry with over 250,000 sex workers, a conservative estimate arising from a research done by UNESCO. Malaysia also has over 360,000 domestic workers who are not recognized nor protected under Malaysian laws. As the numbers of undocumented migrants in Malaysia grow, the government of Malaysia is conducting, at times, controversial, mass arrest and deportation as they are responsible for many social problems and crime.
Reasons for Trafficking Women & Chil
