THIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STOP TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE (STOP). FOR DAILY UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
To ensure the quality of STOP eNews, we will be trialling a new release schedule. Starting in February, our current news & resources sharing will follow a bi-monthly schedule, while the release of STOP highlights will remain unchanged, issued on the last day of each month. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please let us know via email news@stophk.org. Thank you again for your subscription!
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
COVID-19 Response: Reaching marginalised migrants in Hong KongSTOP Welcomes the Latest Decision of the Court of First Instance’s Judgement of the CB Case
The High Court has ruled that authorities have not fulfilled its constitutional duty to provide practical and effective protection to victims of forced labour under Article 4 of Cap 383 Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance in the case of CB; and has quashed and remitted the Commissioner of Police’s decision to not investigate the claimant’s case under trafficking in persons (TIP) and forced labour for renewed consideration. STOP welcomes this heartening outcome for human trafficking victims in Hong Kong and local organisations that support the cause. The ruling also sets the stage for reforms in TIP laws and policies in Hong Kong.
Volunteer Appreciation Month
Volunteers have been a tower of strength for STOP. In 2012, the Vine Church hosted a film screening. The documentary was an in-depth investigation of how sex trafficking operates in the world and the devastating effect on victims’ lives. A group of shocked audiences then became passionate volunteers. This diverse group of individuals from different backgrounds and experience formed a concern group, and slowly became the anti-trafficking team of Branches of Hope today.
A kernel of wheat falls and produces fruits. Since the establishment of STOP in 2014, our volunteers have contributed tremendously to fundraising, public education, connecting vulnerable groups, and building survivors’ capacity. One small step of each individual, together we walk towards a just and slave-free world. As we celebrate #VolunteerAppreciationMonth in April, we are thankful for the contribution that our volunteers have made along the way to reduce modern slavery.
STOP ENEWS AIMS TO PROVIDE CURRENT NEWS, EVENTS, AND RESOURCES TO THE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. IF YOU HAVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING RELATED ACTIVITIES OR RESOURCES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THROUGH OUR ENEWS NETWORK, SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO NEWS@STOPHK.ORG. INCLUSION OF CONTENT IN NO WAY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF OUR ORGANISATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.STOP IS AN INITIATIVE OF BRANCHES OF HOPE BASED IN HONG KONG. IT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OTHER ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANISATION OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAME.
特別通知
為保持內容質素，STOP電子報將試行微改版。由二月起，我哋嘅新聞同資源分享將改為每兩個月更新一次，而STOP嘅最新消息同活動預告會維持每月出版。如果你對我哋嘅電子報有任何意見，請不吝賜教，歡迎電郵至：news@stophk.org 提出建議。再次感謝你訂閱STOP 電子報!
本月焦點
STOP就高等法院對CB司法覆核案件的判決表示歡迎
高等法庭裁定執法人員冇履行《香港人權法案》第四條「不得使充奴隸或奴工」嘅責任，就CB司法覆核案件，撤銷警方不循販賣人口及強迫勞役調查嘅決定，發還警方重新調查。STOP為今次標誌性嘅判決感到鼓舞。相信判決亦為香港政府日後喺改善打擊人口販運及強迫勞動嘅政策制訂，奠下基礎。
義工感謝月
義工係STOP 嘅重要支柱。喺2012年，葡萄藤教會舉辦咗一場電影放映，電影探討性販運嘅全球運作模式，以及對受害人嘅生活影響。電影深深震撼咗在場觀眾，一班志願者，嚟自唔同背景，擁有唔同技能，聚埋一齊，由關注組演變成今日希望枝子嘅 STOP 反人口販運團隊。
一粒麥子落地，可以結出更多果實。自2014年STOP成立至今，全靠義工支持，由籌款、公眾教育，到連繫邊緣群體、增強倖存者群體嘅能力，為反現代奴役工作攜手協力，一人每天行一少步，為公義工作行一大步。 趁四月義工感謝月，我哋回顧一吓義工為反現代奴役工作嘅貢獻吖！
STOP. 中文電子報每月出版，旨在向本港打擊販運人口的社區提供最新的新聞和資源。如你有反人口販運的資訊想透過本報發放，請聯絡 NEWS@STOPHK.ORG。本電子報內容並不反映 STOP. 的立場，謝謝您對本組織的支持。STOP. 是 希望枝子有限公司 (BRANCHES OF HOPE) 其中一個項目，旨在對抗人口販運。本組織與其他名稱類同的反人口販運組織並無關連。
THIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STOP TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE (STOP), PROVIDING YOU WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE NEWS, EVENTS AND RESOURCES RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. FOR DAILY UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
Our COVID Stories
It is almost 2.5 years into the pandemic, the recent Omicron wave intensifies the challenging situation vulnerable communities are in. The difficulties survivors of human trafficking and labour exploitation, and migrant domestic workers particularly face are more complicated than soaring food prices and compulsory universal testing, which require other means of non-monetary relief. Click on the tabs below to learn more about how STOP has been overcoming the barriers and walking alongside with the marginalised.
Supplies Shortage = Malnutrition | Courts Adjourn = Infinite Wait | Confusing Information = Anxiety | Quarantine Order = Isolation | Social Distancing Rule = Discrimination
Miles Apart But Close At Heart
With the fifth wave of COVID-19 outbreak sweeping the city, social distancing measures have once again been tightened in Hong Kong. Despite so, our mission to end human trafficking continues. In March alone, STOP has organized two info sessions, two volunteer trainings, a health talk, as well as three IOM funded workshops for migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, all of which were conducted remotely. A special thank you to our speakers, Fair Employment Agency, Health In Action and Community Drug Advisory Council, and to all participants for taking the time to join us!
It is hoped that equipping our service users with timely information about the latest labour policy changes and medical guidelines could offer some support, and empower them with a better understanding of their labour and welfare rights. Our volunteer team also explored ways to engage the wider public in tackling human trafficking together, through community empowerment for decent work and transparent supply chains.
HONG KONG
Hong Kong domestic helpers abandoned as COVID takes toll
Date: 28 February 2022 | Source: Reuters
A rapid spread in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong has cast a spotlight on the plight of domestic helpers in the global financial hub after some were fired or made homeless by their employers when they tested positive for coronavirus. Two domestic helpers told Reuters they felt helpless and traumatised by the experience. Hong Kong’s Labour Department has warned employers it is an offence to sack those infected.
Access the article here.
Read more: Seen as heroes at home, Filipino workers feel ‘abandoned’ amid Hong Kong’s COVID surge
ASIA
Netizen Voices: Video of shackled, mentally-ill mother of eight sparks outrage, prompts police investigation
Date: 4 February 2022 | Source: China Digital Times
A viral video of a purportedly mentally-ill mother of eight kept chained in an outdoor shed has provoked outrage among Chinese citizens, prompted a criminal investigation, and brought renewed attention to the issues of human trafficking, domestic violence, and treatment of the mentally ill. Comments on Chinese social media have been highly critical of the way that local officials handled the matter, and of censorship of the topic on Weibo and other platforms.
Access the article here.
Read more: China’s city elites wake up to scale of trafficking after chained woman shows human side of age-old crime
Uzbek cotton is free from systemic child labour and forced labour
Date: 1 March 2022 | Source: International Labour Organization
The country has succeeded in eradicating systemic forced labour and systemic child labour during the 2021 cotton production cycle, according to new ILO findings. Jonas Astrup, Chief Technical Advisor of the ILO TPM Project in Uzbekistan said that monitors observed new developments which indicate the democratization of the labour market in Uzbekistan. “We observed an emerging trend of collective bargaining at the grass-root level… Many pickers were paid well above the minimum wage as a result.”
Access the article here.
In Taiwan, blue-collar migrant workers find labour policies that leave them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation
Date: 13 March 2022 | Source: Hong Kong Free Press
In the three decades since Taiwan began importing labour from poorer parts of Asia, migrant workers have become such essential cogs in the machinery of this society that it would grind to a screeching halt without them. Migrant workers man Taiwan’s fishing boats. Its factories employ hundreds of thousands of them. And, on a rapidly ageing island, domestic workers from Southeast Asia are depended on to care for grandpas and grandmas. However, it does little to protect their rights.
Access the article here.
GLOBAL
Prince Andrew settles Virginia Giuffre sexual assault case in US
Date: 15 February 2022 | Source: The Guardian
The Duke of York has settled the sexual assault case filed against him by Virginia Giuffre for an undisclosed sum, sparing him the humiliation of giving evidence in a trial and protecting the royal family from further reputational damage. The move is a remarkable turnaround for the prince, who had promised to fight to clear his name in court, and whose lawyer had described Giuffre’s claim as “baseless” and her of seeking a “payday”.
Andrew was friends with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in December of charges including sex trafficking and conspiracy relating to the recruitment of teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.
Access the article here.
Children going missing amid chaos at Ukrainian border, aid groups report
Date: 12 March 2022 | Source: The Guardian
Children are going missing and cases of human trafficking are being reported by aid groups and volunteers along Ukraine’s borders amid the chaos of the refugee crisis triggered by the Russian invasion. Due to concerns around human trafficking, the Polish government introduced bill amendments to raise the minimum sentence for human trafficking from three to 10 years, and the maximum prison sentence for sex trafficking of children from 10 to 25 years. Poland’s deputy interior minister, Maciej Wąsik, said: “We want to send a clear message to the criminals who are trying to exploit the tragedies of the refugees.”
Access the article here.
Read more: How the sex trade preys on Ukraine’s refugees
RESOURCES
[Report] Pandemic highlights Hong Kong’s reliance on migrant domestic workers and the government’s failure to protect them
Date: 20 February 2022 | Source: Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions FADWU
The pandemic has highlighted how important migrant domestic workers are to families in Hong Kong, yet new research reveals that the government’s mechanisms to protect them are not fit for purpose. The Hong Kong government’s Code of Practice for Employment Agencies (CoP) is being widely flouted by agencies, leaving migrant domestic workers at risk of abuse and exploitation. Yet rather than addressing the failings of their own policies, the government has targeted domestic workers who seek better terms and conditions at work (so-called ‘job-hopping’) and unfairly punished them.
Access the article here.
Read the report here.
[Opinion] Securing evidence: The key to convicting human traffickers
Date: 5 March 2022 | Source: UN News
“Slave” tattoos, electric shock devices, and plastic bracelets. These are examples of the kinds of objects and physical abuses deployed by human traffickers to control, torture, and brand their victims, and which are crucial to securing a conviction. “However, in view of the typical weaknesses that plague victim testimonies, it is necessary to gather other forms of evidence and evaluate on the totality of the evidence, rather than limiting it to the victim statement,” says Rahel Gershuni, a lawyer and international expert on combatting human trafficking.
Access the article here.
[Tech Tool] Tech-driven tools to uncover labor exploitation
Date: 5 March 2022 | Source: Forbes
In social audits, auditors visit factories to check on working and living conditions. Yet all too often they protect companies rather than workers, and companies are not transparent about audit results. One way forward may be to complement in-person audits with remote technologies.
Access the article here.
The fifth wave of COVID-19 continues to hit the city hard. While Hong Kong people are busy fighting the pandemic, STOP team is sourcing supplies diligently for our community of trafficking survivors. Our service target covers unemployed migrant domestic workers, sex trafficking victims and other communities at-risk. You can help us by donating here: http://give.asia/bohfood2022
STOP ENEWS, PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH, AIMS TO PROVIDE CURRENT NEWS, EVENTS, AND RESOURCES TO THE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. IF YOU HAVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING RELATED ACTIVITIES OR RESOURCES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THROUGH OUR ENEWS NETWORK, SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO NEWS@STOPHK.ORG. INCLUSION OF CONTENT IN NO WAY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF OUR ORGANISATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
STOP IS AN INITIATIVE OF BRANCHES OF HOPE BASED IN HONG KONG. IT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OTHER ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANISATION OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAME.
本月焦點
Our COVID Stories 疫境同行
疫情持續咗差唔多兩年半，最近一波疫情亦令社會上脆弱群體嘅處境被激化。尤其係人口販運及勞動剝削嘅倖存者同埋外籍家務工，佢哋所面對嘅困難又點止買貴菜同強檢。除咗提供生活所需，我哋點樣陪伴邊緣群體跨過重重障礙，共度人心惶惶嘅時刻？
物資短缺 = 飢寒交迫 | 法庭關閉 = 無限等 | 資訊混亂 = 焦慮 | 隔離 = 孤立 | 限聚令 = 針對
越過距離 推動充權
疫情轉差，但日子總要過。既然可以在家工作、在家學習，那在家充權、反販運也無妨。我哋三月總共舉辦咗兩場STOP資訊日、兩場義工訓練工作坊、一場健康講座以及三場由國際移民組織資助嘅外籍家務工工作坊，適時為服務對象提供勞權及醫療資訊，從而達至自我充權，亦與義工一同研討如何透過推動充權，防制人口販運。感謝講者公平僱傭中心、醫護行者和社區藥物教育輔導會，還有所有參與者抽空出席。
香港
染疫外傭被炒露宿街頭 勞工處警告僱主或違法：日後聘外傭將被拒
日期：2022年2月24日 ｜來源：香港01
第五波疫情下有染疫外傭被解僱，要在寒天露宿街頭。勞工處24日提醒僱主切勿解僱染疫外傭，並應按照《僱傭條例》及「標準僱傭合約」，為染疫外傭提供有薪病假、免費及合適住宿及免費醫療，否則有可能違法，日後亦會被拒絕外傭簽證申請。
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+ 閱讀更多：印傭YouTuber Contrinx 拍片豈止講外傭權益 打工之道：識做人也要守底線
英籍僱主非禮外傭罪成 事主指罪行涉違《人權法》申司法覆核
日期：2022年3月28日 ｜來源：明報
一名英籍僱主被指非禮其外傭及強迫她替僱主手淫，早前被裁定非禮罪成。該外傭尋求司法覆核，質疑警方調查其間未有履行《香港人權法案》訂明的責任。高等法院28日以遙距聆訊處理司法覆核許可申請。申請方指，涉案僱主多次強迫不同家庭傭工為他提供性服務，涉及強制勞役及販賣人口，惟警方「有意排除」上述調查方向，僅控以非禮罪；答辯方則反駁，案情不涉限制外傭的人身自由及金錢或物件交易，不屬強制勞役或販賣人口。
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亞洲
遠方的哭聲：從八孩母親到被遺忘的農村女性精神障礙患者
日期：2022年2月8日 ｜來源：端傳媒
「徐州八孩母親」事件在2022年農曆新年來臨前引爆中國大陸輿論場。事件中的女性楊某俠在江蘇省徐州市豐縣的一個村子裏，被鐵鏈鎖頸、拴於簡陋偏房，她蓬頭垢面、衣着單薄，卻為董某民生育8個孩子。豐縣事件再次引發有關是否有必要提高拐賣婦女、兒童罪刑罰的討論，但范越認為，刑責處罰只是被拐賣女性權益保護的其中一環，更重要的「一頭一尾」反而少人在意。
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+ 閱讀更多：「我們僅是倖存者」 為何中國人堅持追問「鐵鏈女」真相
從此再無新疆貨？美國涉疆新法攪動全球供應鏈
日期：2022年1月13日 ｜來源：風傳媒
2021年歲末，美國總統拜登將《防止強迫維吾爾人勞動法案》（The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act）簽署成法。這部新法將全面禁止企業從新疆地區或與該地區政府有關聯的實體進口產品，除非企業能夠提供明確且令人信服的證據，證明產品非由強迫勞動製造。分析認為，新法必將對全球供應鏈構成影響，但具體情況將取決於未來美國政府的執法力度。
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遠洋漁船模範生：「讓外籍漁工待得開心，我覺得非常值得！」
日期：2022年3月8日 ｜來源：獨立評論在天下
「我16歲就開始跑船，到現在已經超過20年了！」電話的那一頭是陳文省陳老闆，他來自東港的漁民第三代，旗下的船隊跑到全球三大洋都有。「現在的漁船出去那麼久，有時候一趟好幾個月甚至一年，所以我在去年年底，把我擁有的一艘遠洋漁船加裝了衛星無限量通訊網路系統。船員就算在大海中央，不工作的時候，也可以看電視、看網紅、可以透過手機聯絡遠在台灣和印尼的家人。」陳老闆將心比心，不只想到漁船上的管理階層，還有船上的外籍漁工們。
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國際
安德魯王子性侵案庭外和解 「回不去」的王子與「誰來買單」的疑問
日期：2022年2月16日 ｜來源：BBC中文
英國約克公爵安德魯王子在美國被提起性侵犯民事訴訟一事以庭外和解作結，安德魯王子同意向原訴人弗吉妮婭·尤弗裏支付一筆款項和解，金額保密。 尤弗裏女士公開宣稱自16歲被金融家愛潑斯坦侵犯，並曾被「借出」予有權有勢的男性。2019年，愛潑斯坦因性販運罪行在監獄收押候審期間死亡。 她稱在她17歲時，曾三度被安德魯王子性侵犯，地點分別是英國社交名媛吉絲蓮·麥斯威爾在倫敦的寓所，愛潑斯坦位於紐約的公寓樓，和愛潑斯坦在美屬維爾京群島的私人島嶼上。
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輪胎、馬達上都是童工血淚！看不見的電動車生產悲歌
日期：2022年3月14日 ｜來源：科技報橘
全球每年約 70% 的「鈷」產量來自於剛果共和國，但是許多人權觀察組織長年來不斷警示，當地礦場的工作環境不佳、童工等一直是亟需解決問題。每天的開採作業需要耗費相當大的體力，因此高工時、高溫、飲食及飲用水供應不足的工作環境，都讓礦工們深感吃不消，且向上反映也得不到回應。 人權觀察組織 RAID 與美國科技媒體 The Verge 共同實地訪問了超過 10 位的 KCC 正職及約聘員工後，卻發現當地的工作環境遠比想像中還要差。
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330萬烏克蘭難民湧入歐洲 兒童販運風險高漲
日期：2022年3月21日 ｜來源：中央通訊社
歐洲聯盟（EU）負責移民事務的專員警告，因俄羅斯入侵而逃亡出國的烏克蘭兒童，有遭到販運的危險。歐盟內政事務專員約翰松說，截至目前歐盟邊界傳出無人陪伴兒童的報告非常少，只有少數販運的報告。 然而她表示，警察、相關活動家和烏克蘭婦女組織已提醒要注意一些「令人擔憂」的案例，並指過去出現大規模遷移的情況下，這些虐待行為很普遍。她說，風險可能出現在邊境地區，偽裝成救助人員的罪犯，可能藉提供新抵達的移民庇護場所，占弱勢群體便宜。
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評論及資源
[網上藝術展] 藝術與社會：斷鍊藝術行動展
日期：2022年2月8日 ｜來源：女權學論
隨著「豐縣生育八孩女子」事件發酵，全國良知人民深切關注母親、弱勢群體和困難群體。以藝術家張瓊飛女士為主倡導人，相關幾個藝術家群體聯合作家和詩人積極參與的《斷鍊》藝術行動在線展覽正式拉開序幕。此次展覽的目的是「解去拴住她的鐵鍊，斷掉販賣她的金錢鏈」，以多種藝術形式，包括文字，圖片，繪畫，影像，雕塑，裝置，行為等來進行真摯的人性召喚。參加展覽的女性主義藝術家郭楨女士表示：「如果我們不能為沈默大地和靜音的人說話，我們都將面臨同一的毀滅的結局。」
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[調查報告] 疫症突顯本港依賴外傭 特區政府保障工人不力
日期：2022年2月20日 ｜來源：香港亞洲家務工工會聯會
一場2019冠狀病毒肺炎疫症，突顯家務移工對本地家庭的重要性；然而，一項研究結果顯示，特區政府保障家務移工的機制，未能達到目的。由香港政府頒佈的《職業介紹所實務守則》實施五年以來，普遍被中介公司無視；令家務移工處於容易受到剝削的狀況。可是，特區政府非但沒有注視到其政策本身之缺點，反而將茅頭指向尋求較佳待遇的勞方(所謂「跳槽」)，不公平地懲罰他們。
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+ 閱讀報告：《恰如其分？評估過去五年《職業介紹所業務守則》的依循情況》
第五波新冠病毒疫情殺香港人一個措手不及，全城抗疫之時，在香港的邊緣群體所面對的挑戰前所未見。希望枝子及STOP團隊正為我們服務的對象，包括前外籍家務工、性販運受害人、及其他高風險社群張羅物資。你可以透過到 http://give.asia/BOHfood2022 捐助支持及協助我們和人口販運倖存者渡過第五波抗疫難關。
STOP. 中文電子報每月出版，旨在向本港打擊販運人口的社區提供最新的新聞和資源。如你有反人口販運的資訊想透過本報發放，請聯絡 NEWS@STOPHK.ORG。本電子報內容並不反映 STOP. 的立場，謝謝您對本組織的支持。STOP. 是 希望枝子有限公司 (BRANCHES OF HOPE) 其中一個項目，旨在對抗人口販運。本組織與其他名稱類同的反人口販運組織並無關連。
Care and Empowerment Amid 5th wave of COVID
THIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STOP TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE
(STOP). FOR DAILY UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
To ensure the quality of STOP eNews, we will be trialling a new release schedule. Starting in February, our current news & resources sharing will follow a bi-monthly schedule, while the release of STOP highlights will remain unchanged, issued on the last day of each month. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please let us know via email news@stophk.org. Thank you again for your subscription!
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
COVID-19 Response: Reaching marginalised migrants in Hong Kong
The fifth wave of COVID-19 continues to hit the city hard. While Hong Kong people are busy fighting the pandemic, STOP team is sourcing supplies diligently for our community of trafficking survivors. Among the cases supported by STOP, some former migrant domestic workers who remain in Hong Kong for legal procedure have, unfortunately, tested positive for COVID-19. STOP caseworker has then supported them by delivering emergency packages, including rapid antigen tests, over-the-counter symptomatic medicine, health care information, and food.
Survivors of human trafficking are vulnerable to coronavirus as much as we all are. They face challenges unique to the marginalised condition. Many of them are staying in Hong Kong with a visitor visa (for processing legal procedures). It leaves them no choice but to stay at boarding houses or emergency shelters, and to rely on limited support from charity like us. Crowded living space exposes them to the risk of infection. Survivors of trafficking usually experience mental and physical trauma from the past, which causes chronic illness. If they test virus positive, their medical challenge is not just the long waiting hours at public health care, but the possible serious complication.
Branches of Hope and STOP team are now facing challenges of supporting human trafficking survivors in this difficult time. Our service target covers unemployed migrant domestic workers, sex trafficking victims and other communities at-risk. You can help us by donating here: http://give.asia/bohfood2022
#GoBeyondtheLabel makes a return
Our winter campaign #GoBeyondtheLabel is back with more knowledge bites on modern slavery in the global food supply chain. Which foods are involved? What can we as consumers do? Click on the images to find out more! 🍚🍓🎣
MARCH PREVIEW
STOP Info Session
In this Info Session, we will cover the problem of human trafficking, what STOP is doing to fight it and how you can get involved. We will also introduce STOP volunteer opportunities, including Migrant Domestic Worker Outreach and Ethical Consumer App Research. We can’t wait to see you there!
Date: 5 March, 2022 (Saturday)
Time: 4:00-5:30pm
Format: Zoom
Language: Cantonese
STOP ENEWS AIMS TO PROVIDE CURRENT NEWS, EVENTS, AND RESOURCES TO THE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. IF YOU HAVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING RELATED ACTIVITIES OR RESOURCES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THROUGH OUR ENEWS NETWORK, SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO NEWS@STOPHK.ORG. INCLUSION OF CONTENT IN NO WAY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF OUR ORGANISATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.STOP IS AN INITIATIVE OF BRANCHES OF HOPE BASED IN HONG KONG. IT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OTHER ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANISATION OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAME.
特別通知
為保持內容質素，STOP電子報將試行微改版。由二月起，我哋嘅新聞同資源分享將改為每兩個月更新一次，而STOP嘅最新消息同活動預告會維持每月出版。如果你對我哋嘅電子報有任何意見，請不吝賜教，歡迎電郵至：news@stophk.org 提出建議。再次感謝你訂閱STOP 電子報!
本月焦點
支援邊緣群體 同行抗疫
第五波新冠病毒疫情殺香港人一個措手不及，全城抗疫之時，STOP團隊正為我們服務的人口販運倖存者張羅。最近我們服務的倖存者中，有等候法律程序的前外籍家庭傭工不幸染上新冠肺炎。我們的個案工作員立即為他送上新冠肺炎應急包，包括快速抗原測試包、徵狀適用的成藥、健康資訊卡及食物。 人口販運倖存者與我們一樣，同樣在社區中有被感染的風險；當大部分人可以選擇居家抗疫之時，在香港的邊緣群體所面對的挑戰前所未見。
人口販運倖存者來自五湖四海，有些人不諳中文及英語，要獲取本地不斷更新的政府防疫措施資訊，成了他們日常生活的困難。以旅客簽證留港處理法律程序的倖存者，靠慈善團體微薄的資助，暫居於外傭宿舍，幾個人留宿於一個狹小的房間，令他們暴露在更高的感染風險之中。此外，部分人口販運倖存者過往的身心創傷有可能導致他們長期需要醫療護理，一旦染上新冠肺炎，倖存者顧慮的不只是公共醫療設施的等候時間，更可能因此引發嚴重併發症。
希望枝子及STOP團隊正面臨支援人口販運倖存者的挑戰，我們服務的對象包括前外籍家務工、性販運受害人、及其他高風險社群。你可以透過到 http://give.asia/BOHfood2022 捐助支持及協助我們和人口販運倖存者渡過第五波抗疫難關。
「標籤背後的故事」系列返嚟啦！
喺全球食物供應鏈中，農業（包括作物同牲畜嘅生產）係牽涉奴役嘅高危行業之一。農業嘅高勞動性，涉及大量低技能勞工同埋相對較短嘅工作週期，都係導致行業成為高危嘅因素。 至於邊啲食品牽涉其中？作為消費者嘅我哋又可以點做？Click入下圖了解更多啦！
活動預告
STOP資訊日
活動當日，我哋會介紹人口販運議題、STOP嘅工作以及義工機會，包括 外籍家務工外展服務 及 良心消費應用程式研究 。無論你想知多一點，或想加入做義工，我哋都歡迎你參加！
日期：2022年3月5日（星期六）
時間：下午4:00-5:30
形式：Zoom
語言：廣東話
STOP. 中文電子報每月出版，旨在向本港打擊販運人口的社區提供最新的新聞和資源。如你有反人口販運的資訊想透過本報發放，請聯絡 NEWS@STOPHK.ORG。本電子報內容並不反映 STOP. 的立場，謝謝您對本組織的支持。STOP. 是 希望枝子有限公司 (BRANCHES OF HOPE) 其中一個項目，旨在對抗人口販運。本組織與其他名稱類同的反人口販運組織並無關連。
THIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STOP TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE (STOP), PROVIDING YOU WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE NEWS, EVENTS AND RESOURCES RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. FOR DAILY UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
Human Trafficking Awareness Month: #SpotTheSignsFebruary Preview
If you think slavery is an outdated concept, you are wrong. Modern slavery and human trafficking are closely related, and unfortunately, human trafficking is happening in many corners around the world every day. January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and we believe awareness can save lives!
In the past few weeks, we have shared about signs of modern slavery:
Labour Exploitation | Forced Marriage | Criminal Exploitation
Help us spot those in our communities together – being able to do so could make a life-changing difference. You might walk past or speak to someone who needs help without you even realising it.
February Preview
STOP Info Session is back! Want to learn more about Human Trafficking? Want to get involved? This event is for you. In this Info Session, we will cover the problem of human trafficking, what STOP is doing to fight it and how you can get involved. We will introduce volunteer opportunities including Outreach and promoting Ethical Consumerism.
Date: 26 February, 2022 (Saturday)
Time: 4:00-5:30pm
Format: Zoom
Language: English
We also have a Cantonese Info Session on 5 March! Click here for more details.
HONG KONG
Doctor among customers in brothel offering underage sex workers
Date: 9 January 2022 | Source: The Standard
Officers cracked down a brothel in an old residential and commercial old building on Ichang Street, where they took away the two teenage. Police arrested six local men and a local woman, aged between 22 and 57, including two operators and five customers. Police said although no evidence shows that those underage girls have been forced to engage in sex work, at least one of them was lured by drugs for providing sexual services.
Access the article here.
ASIA
For Chinese workers in Indonesia, no pay, no passports, no way home
Date: 9 January 2022 | Source: Sixth Tone
Out of options and desperate for work, Huang Guomeng left his hometown in the central Henan province for what he hoped would be a good job in Indonesia. But once he reported for work at a nickel industrial park in Morowali County on Sulawesi Island, hope gave way to despair. The outsourcing company in Indonesia that recruited him and promised better wages confiscated his passport.
Access the article here.
Social media apps help scale up sex trafficking
Date: 11 January 2022 | Source: Pulitzer Centre
Ayesha had lost her job at a small fabric shop earlier this year because of the pandemic. At the time, she had also started dating Rifadul Islam, who had been introduced to her by a mutual friend. She even went to three TikTok hangout parties with the 26-year-old Islam, who used the handle “TikTokHridoy” on the social-media app. “He had promised to make me a TikTok star in some foreign countries,” 18-year-old Ayesha told Asia Democracy Chronicles. “I was not aware that I was being lured by the gang of traffickers using TikTok as a trap,” she said.
Access the article here.
16 Ugandan students forced to work in central Taiwan factories
Date: 13 January 2022 | Source: Taiwan News
The Ministry of Education has barred Chungchou University of Science and Technology (CCUT) from recruiting foreign students after one of its 16 Ugandan students reported that they had been forced into factory work for long hours as “interns” and were not provided scholarships or instruction in English as promised. The Reporter released an account of the conditions at CCUT by Collines Mugisha, a 21-year-old former student of the university from Uganda.
Access the article here.
GLOBAL
Alleged head of child exploitation ring accused of prostituting own daughter
Date: 7 January 2022 | Source: Breitbart
An accused leader of a child exploitation ring in Spain has been accused by authorities of prostituting his own daughter while presenting her as an adult on sexual websites. The investigation into the exploitation network began last year in April when the Family and Women’s Care Unit (UFAM) of Madrid found a 16-year-old girl was being sold to adults for sex in exchange for money or drugs. Investigators say that the gang lured the girls through social media networks with promises to make money and taught them to sell drugs as well.
Access the article here.
Italian police arrest alleged Black Axe Nigerian mafia members over trafficking
Date: 19 January 2022 | Source: The Guardian
Four alleged members of the Nigerian mafia have been arrested in southern Italy after a young sex trafficking survivor spoke out against them. Investigators in Palermo who led the operation said the woman, who is also Nigerian, was forced into sex work after taking part in an occult ritual bound up with traditional spiritual beliefs, known as juju, which bond victims to their traffickers and to any debts they will incur. The abuse of religious and cultural belief systems in Nigeria has proved a deadly and highly effective control mechanism for traffickers recruiting women destined for the sex trade in Europe.
Access the article here.
‘Miserable and dangerous’: A failed Chinese promise in Serbia
Date: 24 January 2022 | Source: New York Times
Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary. His life certainly changed: It got much worse. The job turned out to be in Serbia, one of Europe’s poorest nations, with a Chinese company whose gigantic tire factory now under construction. Workers and activists say problems like human trafficking, prisonlike working conditions and environmental abuse are endemic.
Access the article here.
RESOURCES
[Investigation] Jails in Thailand force prisoners to make fishing nets under threat of violence
Date: 24 December 2021 | Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
Thai prisoners are being forced to make fishing nets for private companies under threat of punishment including beatings and delayed release, a Thomson Reuters Foundation investigation has found. Former prisoners said prison officers threatened to beat them with batons, withdraw the right to wash or push back their release date if they did not meet stringent targets. The work was compulsory, but paid only a fraction of Thailand’s minimum wage and some workers were not paid at all, they said. “Our fingers would be all sore with wounds. It’s real torture … it’s the worst type of work.”
Access the article here.
[Legal Update] The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act goes into effect in the United States
Date: 14 January 2022 | Source: Gibson Dunn
On December 23, 2021, President Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (the “UFLPA” or “Act”) into law. The UFLPA, is the latest in a line of U.S. efforts to address the plight of Uyghurs and other persecuted minority groups in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (the “XUAR”). A key feature of the Act is the creation of a rebuttable presumption that all goods manufactured even partially in the XUAR are the product of forced labor and therefore not entitled to entry at U.S. ports.
Access the article here.
STOP ENEWS, PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH, AIMS TO PROVIDE CURRENT NEWS, EVENTS, AND RESOURCES TO THE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. IF YOU HAVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING RELATED ACTIVITIES OR RESOURCES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THROUGH OUR ENEWS NETWORK, SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO NEWS@STOPHK.ORG. INCLUSION OF CONTENT IN NO WAY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF OUR ORGANISATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.STOP IS AN INITIATIVE OF BRANCHES OF HOPE BASED IN HONG KONG. IT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OTHER ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANISATION OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAME.
本月焦點
關注人口販運月
如果你覺得「#奴隸制」只係一個古舊嘅思想，咁你就錯喇！現代奴隸制同人口販運互相緊扣，而人口販運不幸地每日都喺世界好多唔同角落發生緊。 呢個月係「關注人口販運月」，而我哋相信提高大家對議題嘅認識能有效幫助有需要嘅人！過去幾個星期，我哋喺IG同大家分享咗一啲現代奴隸有跡可尋嘅線索: 勞動剝削 ｜ 強迫婚姻 ｜ 犯罪剝削
知道呢啲線索，你都可以幫手留意下身邊嘅人同事，話唔定你都可以發現到一啲需要或等緊救援嘅人，向佢哋伸出援手！
活動預告
期待已久嘅STOP資訊日嚟啦！想知道更多關於人口販運嘅資訊？想更了解STOP嘅工作？咁就快啲報名參加啦！我們會介紹人口販運議題、STOP的工作以及義工機會，包括外展及推廣良心消費。無論你想知多一點，或想加入做義工，我們都歡迎你參加，與我們攜手，一起打擊人口販運！
日期：2022年3月5日（星期六）
時間：下午4:00-5:30
形式：Zoom
語言：廣東話
另外，二月份我們亦會舉辦英文資訊日，有興趣嘅人士可前往以下連結查看活動詳情。
香港
警搗兒童色情場所拘兩主持 5嫖客涉衰十一被捕
日期：2022年1月9日 ｜來源：香港01
警方7日搗破一個隱藏於尖沙咀商住唐樓的兒童色情場所，拘捕1男1女主持，及5名涉嫌「衰十一」男嫖客，帶走兩名分別13歲及15歲女童，並追查同案最少3名女童。警方指該場所極為有組織，嫖客均為熟客，男女主持透過社交媒體發放雛妓值班訊息及進行預約，每次肉金為1300至2500元不等，與女童三七拆帳。據悉，案中女童疑被人以毒品利誘參與賣淫。
+ 全文
亞洲
一帶一路：中國工人印尼打工的慘痛遭遇，新冠疫情下的崎嶇回家路
日期：2022年1月10日 ｜來源：BBC中文
59歲的羅向前（化名）經由中國江蘇省一家名為「然越勞務派遣公司」，被僱到一家名為「安徽鵬德」的外協公司，2021年4月被派到印尼的一家中國冶煉企業工地德龍工業園工作。他稱自己薪水被剋扣，討薪時遭這家勞務派遣公司人員毆打，公司管理層也以疫情為由，拒絶讓他繼續求醫，向中國大使館發出的求救信息也石沉大海。他的經歷是眾多身在印尼的中國勞工的寫照。這幾家中國冶煉企業工地近期接連傳出中國務工工人被剋扣工資、扣留護照、毆打，甚至是瞞報因工死亡、自殺等事件。
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人權專家警告：塔利班試圖使婦女和女孩在公共生活中消失
日期：2022年1月17日 ｜來源：聯合國新聞
近30位聯合國人權專家今天共同發表聲明表示，阿富汗的塔利班領導人正在將針對婦女和女孩的大規模和系統性的性別歧視和暴力製度化。人權專家們還注意到，婦女和女童遭受剝削的風險增加，包括以童婚和強迫婚姻為目的的販運，以及性剝削和強迫勞動。
+ 全文（簡）
+ 閱讀聲明（英）
國際
從此再無新疆貨？美國涉疆新法攪動全球供應鏈
日期：2022年1月13日 ｜來源：風傳媒
2021年歲末，美國總統拜登將《防止強迫維吾爾人勞動法案》（The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act）簽署成法。這部新法將全面禁止企業從新疆地區或與該地區政府有關聯的實體進口產品，除非企業能夠提供明確且令人信服的證據，證明產品非由強迫勞動製造。分析認為，新法必將對全球供應鏈構成影響，但具體情況將取決於未來美國政府的執法力度。
+ 全文
西班牙搗破迫使中國女性賣淫集團 團夥頭目亦是中國女性
日期：2022年1月20日 ｜來源：自由亞洲電台
西班牙警方日前搗破一個奴役中國女性的賣淫網絡，團夥頭目在中國使用欺騙手段，誘騙很多中國女性來到西方，警方斥人口販賣者將這些女性當作「撈金工具」。該網絡的頭目是一名中國女性，至少在西班牙生活逾10年。這些被迫成為性奴的中國女性由薩拉戈薩（Zaragoza）地下集團控制。她們不僅被逼賣淫，非法組織還強迫她們向客戶出售大麻、可卡因等非法藥物。警方發現，受害女性的生活環境極其惡劣，並且要在剝削者的監視下進行非法工作。
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「這裡就像人間地獄」：中資輪胎廠在塞爾維亞引發憤怒
日期：2022年1月24日 ｜來源：紐約時報中文網
為了擺脫越南北部的極度貧困，一位43歲的農民在科威特和烏茲別克斯坦的建築工地上工作了多年，最終獲得了一張通往歐洲的票和一份薪酬優厚的工作，人們曾告訴他，那將是他的「應許之地」。他的生活的確變了：變得更糟了。原來這份工作是在塞爾維亞——歐洲最貧窮的國家之一——為一家中國公司工作，該公司目前正在北部城市茲雷尼亞寧建設巨大的輪胎工廠。
+ 全文
評論及資源
[漫畫] 綁債．黑工．留學陷阱｜困在隧道的青春：在台烏干達學生的血淚故事
日期：2022年1月10日 ｜來源：報導者
2021年中，我們掌握在彰化中州科技大學就讀的16位烏干達學生，如何滿心期待跨越萬里赴台就讀，卻淪為背債底層的「學工」。對人均所得2,000多美元的烏干達人來說，赴台留學帶著強烈的決心。他們得先付出數萬元的機票簽證費，每學期近10萬元的學費、住宿費和生活費；學校招聘人員說會有獎學金、好的打工實習機會，但事情從啟程那一刻開始變調：取得簽證後，學生們被要求在48小時內離境、匆匆來台，沒機會和家人朋友說再見；他們在看不懂的中文合約上簽字，簽約時還被要求不准拍照。學校的承諾，來台後無一兌現。
來自烏干達的Collines，告訴我們他的故事⋯⋯
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[專題調查] 澳洲移民剝削調查：隱藏在身邊的陰暗秘密
日期：2021年12月18日 ｜來源：ABC中文
拖欠工資、剝削和現代奴役在新聞報導中往往是互無關聯的醜聞，但對澳大利亞的許多新移民來說，它們是不可避免的慘痛經歷。記者在過去三年就本報導進行調查的過程中，ABC定期訪問和接觸了超過100名臨時簽證持有者，他們在工作場所受到不同程度的剝削，其經歷隨著跟踪訪問的進行亦逐漸展開。
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