Human trafficking- “It’s a bigger business than the arms and weapons trade. It's a lot easier and more lucrative than drug smuggling. In fact, some say, trafficking in human beings is surpassed only by the oil industry in magnitude and revenue” (Phnom Penh Post). Human, and more specifically child trafficking in Cambodia has been a large issue for decades, becoming normalized to the point of being deemed part of the tourism industry. According to the United Nations “The recruitment, transportation … of persons by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion … to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation” (Dhavan et al.). Two of the largest forms of trafficking within Cambodia …show more content…
Child trafficking has been a widespread issue within Cambodia for decades, with no immediate solution or end in sight. The prevalence of child trafficking is largely caused by the lack of action by the government, caused by the oppression of the issue, as well as the societal normalization and desensitization to it, however, many organizations have begun to combat this issue, and continue to make change within Cambodia. Within Cambodia, efforts to stop trafficking are blocked by officials due to the profit they get from it, and are also stunted by the normalization of it, and the lack of advocation for these victims on an international scale. Often times, the issue is not brought to an international stage due to ethnocentrism, isolationism, and racial inequality. Anette Marcher looks at a worldwide trade that attracts little publicity - unless the victims are young, attractive and white (Phnom Penh Post). This article focuses on how there was international attention brought to the case of a few young Romanian and Moldovan girls who were trafficked, and how an ongoing epidemic of this within many countries is ignored, and has actually been dubbed a “tourist attraction” in Cambodia, with a large part of their tourism revenue …show more content…
It is often not even dealt with on a local level because of how many people profit from it. Legros points to incidents where police officers have tried to reclaim girls or have warned brothel owners before a rescue attempt. Trafficking and prostitution often subsidize military police and police officers who get paid as little as $10 a month (Phnom Penh Post). This proves that trafficking is not an isolated issue, and brothel owners as well as traffickers work with corrupt officials to ensure that they are essentially immune to arrest or conviction. It can be argued that since it is a known fact that officers and many others profit from it, it isn’t a hidden issue. However, often times, when it is talked about, it isn’t necessarily in a negative way because it has been normalized. Cambodia was renowned as a sex tourism destination in the 1990’s and this legacy is still prevalent today. Women and girls are mostly trafficked within the thriving sex industry in Cambodia's major cities. Despite significant attempts to curb CSE, NGOs report the industry has
Where are the parents? Where are the adults to protect the children? Why are there not more police enforcements? It seems as if sex trafficking is only an issue amongst the poor Cambodians because the higher ones are the perpetrators. Is not the military supposed to be protecting their people? However, when a nine-year-old victim at one of the rehabilitation centers tells Somaly “When you go around the world, when you go to see the military in Cambodia, can you tell them, a few minutes of their pleasure killed me,” it raises the question whether Cambodia has more issues beyond sex trafficking.
As victim count continues to rise, its difficult to see how such great numbers of men, women and children are bought and sold every year. Trafficking can be found in many forms, including: prostitution, slavery, or forced labor (Harf and Lombardi, 2014). It wasn’t until the 1980’s that international human trafficking became globally noticed. With the lack of government intervention and control in several nations, and the free trade market, slavery once again became a profitable industry (Harf and Lombardi, 2014). As previously mentioned, easier movement across nations borders is one of the outcomes of globalization. It is also what makes human trafficking so easy today. It is estimated that about 20.9 million people are victims across the entire globe (United Nations Publications, 2012); trafficking accounts for 32 billion dollars in generated profit globally (Brewer, n.d). 58 percent of all human trafficking was for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and of this 55-60 percent are women (United Nations Publications,
CNN to air Mira Sorvino-led Freedom Project special on sex trafficking in Cambodia. (2014, February 6). CNN Press Room RSS. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/06/cnn-to-air-mira-sorvino-led-freedom-project-special-on-sex-trafficking-in-cambodia/?iref=allsearch
According to Van Wormer & Bartollas (2014), sex trafficking, “encompasses the organized movement of people, usually women, between countries and within countries for sex work” (p. 289). Sex trafficking is also a very lucrative business, it is estimated to make $31. 6 billion annually. This amount is estimated from the 2.5 million people who a trafficked each year. The exact number of people who are victims of the sex industry cannot be predicted accurately for all over the world. In the United States alone there is about 14,500-17,500 people trafficked each year. Human trafficking it the third biggest organized crime after drug and arms trafficking (Hodge, 2014). Young men make up about 44% of people being trafficked, while women and girls
Awareness of child sexual trafficking can be viewed as a balanced scale, with one side representing the country’s population that is fully informed of the issue, while the other side is either unaware or unattached to the issue. The public needs to have more involvement with this affair based on multiple concerns; first, the act of child sex trafficking itself is a serious crime that violates human rights (Fong & Cardoso, 2010). Second, various negative health repercussion including transmittable sexual diseases, physical damages, mental disturbance, post traumatic stress disorders, and other illnesses plague many victims (Fong & Cardoso, 2010). Third, sexual trafficking is responsible for generating poverty as a result of obstructing economic, and social development (Reid, 2012). Child sex trafficking proves to be a global dilemma affecting numerous countries
Human trafficking is prevalent throughout the world, especially in Asia and more specifically in China but the government and non-governmental organizations (NGO) are taking measures to put an end to it. Human trafficking involves exploitation of human beings; either sexually or by coercing them to work in unfavourable conditions for little pay or nothing at all. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines human trafficking as “the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.” Women and children, especially girls between the ages of fourteen and twenty constitute the majority of victims of human trafficking. “China is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking; the majority of which is internal trafficking” (www.humantrafficking.org).
Summary: We see that there are many different aspects and types of human trafficking that everyone should be made aware of. As a whole human trafficking is a lucrative industry raking in $150 BILLION globally. The impact that this industry has on its victims is
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“Human trafficking coerces and persuades their victims to cross national borders in search of new jobs and better opportunities and after that they are forced into some sort of labor bondage” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Even though trafficking is a problem in almost every country; poorer countries have a bigger problem with it because they are more desperate for work. Just in 2000, the U.S. enacted their first federal anti-trafficking law, called the Victims of Trafficking Protection Act (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1). Trafficking has just begun to receive notice on how big of a problem it actually is. “Proponents of strict anti-trafficking initiatives say that laws and prevention against trafficking are necessary in order to stem the growing tide of large scale organized crime that profits off of smuggling and trafficking” (At Issue: Human Trafficking 1).
The Trafficking of children and women for sexual mistreatment has become a key worry for nearly all governments as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) not overlooking the media. Up to date, accounts in the United States regarding human trafficking for sexual exploitations have shown that the matter is a national problem that is on the rise (Wheaton & Schauer, 2012). A projected 60,000 women and children are trafficked each year in the United States. These women and children come generally from the Latin America, South East Asia and some countries of the former Soviet Union in Eastern and Central Europe.
Sex trafficking is essentially systemic rape for profit. Force, fraud and coercion are used to control the victim’s behavior which may secure the appearance of consent to please the buyer (or john). Behind every transaction is violence or the threat of violence (Axtell par. 4). Just a decade ago, only a third of the countries studied by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had legislation against human trafficking. (Darker Side, par.1) Women, children, and even men are taken from their homes, and off of the streets and are brought into a life that is almost impossible to get out of. This life is not one of choice, it is in most times by force. UNODC estimates that the total international human trafficking is a $32-billion-per-year business, and that 79% of this activity comprises sexual exploitation. As many as 2 million children a year are victims of commercial sexual exploitation, according the the U.S. State Department.-- Cynthia G. Wagner. (Darker Side, par. 4) The words prostitute, pimp, escort, and stripper tend to be way too common in the American everyday vocabulary. People use these words in a joking manner, but sex trafficking is far from a joke. Everyday, from all different countries, people are bought and sold either by force or false promises. Some are kidnapped and others come to America with dreams of a dream life and job. The buyers involved in the trade will do anything to purchase an innocent life just to sell for their own selfish profit. Many people wouldn’t think of a human body to be something you can buy in the back room of a business or even online. But those plus the streets are where people are sold most often. There are many reasons and causes for sex trafficking. The factors behind sex traffic...
In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution ended the institution of slavery (McGough). Even though slavery was abolished, modern day slavery still exists and has evolved under a different appearance and is known as “Human Trafficking” in today’s society. Each year, thousands of people are trafficked across borders or internally, and exploited for cheap labor or sexual services. According to the U.S. Federal Law, human trafficking consists of children involved in sex trade, adults who are coerced or deceived into commercial sex, anyone forced into different forms of labor or services (Polaris Project). Human trafficking is a human rights violation; it is a crime against the dignity and integrity of an individual. It is the trading of human beings as commodities. It is “modern-day slavery” with more slaves at work today than there has ever been at any point in history.
Spruce, Hannah. "Methods Of Human Trafficking: Modern Slavery Guidance." High Speed Training Hub. N. p., 2017. Web. 14 Nov. 2017.
...Human Trafficking in the East Asia Pacific Region." HumanTrafficking.org: A Web Resource for Combating Human Trafficking in the East Asia Pacific Region. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
Youth are being forced to migrate due to dwindling land resources and poor employment opportunities. This takes them away from their family and community and also exposes them to many risks like sexual reproduction health risks, drug and alcohol abuse and criminals, including those involved in human trafficking. Women are at particular risk from the threats like STI’s and unwanted pregnancies as well as gender-based violence. Additionally, partially due to this, Cambodia has the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the region (Citeseerx, 2002). Also the most common jobs for migrating young people, especially men, are in construction and day labouring because many have little to no skills and limited education. Labouring jobs pose further risks on youths from poor conditions like long hours, night work, heavy work and hot