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.
Survivors Connect at Wellness Workshops
In March & April, with the support of HER Fund, STOP organized three Health & Happiness Workshops and one Pastel Painting Workshop. The Health & Happiness Workshops were focused on breathing and relaxation. The Pastel Painting Workshop was an opportunity for survivors to express their trauma and healing. Through these activities, survivors to connect with each other for mutual support.
Interested in teaching a workshop? Email us at info@stophk.org!
‘The Price of Justice’ highlights legal hurdles Hong Kong’s domestic workers face in new documentary
Date: 11 April 2021
Source: South China Morning Post
The Price of Justice premiered on April 14 at the University of Hong Kong, where funds were raised for family of the late Baby Jane Allas. The feature-length documentary focuses on the stories of four Filipino domestic workers who faced lengthy court battles against their employers.
Access the article here.
Read more: the story of Baby Jane Allas.
‘Pay up’: Indian trafficking victims left destitute by compensation delays
Date: 6 April 2021
Source: Reuters
Hit by COVID-19 delays, some 12,000 survivors of trafficking, sexual assault and acid attacks are waiting for claims to be assessed.
The Philippines: Immigration warns of new human trafficking scam targeting former OFWs
Date: 12 April 2021
Source: Philstar.com
The Bureau of Immigration warned the public on another human trafficking scheme victimizing former Overseas Filipino Workers who wish to work abroad again.
In this latest scam, BI said, “former OFWs whose visas and contracts have expired are given new tourist visas to allow them to depart to work illegally as tourists, using their old [overseas employment certificate] records.”
Malaysia’s Top Glove says it has resolved all indicators of forced labour
Date: 26 April 2021
Source: Reuters
Malaysia’s Top Glove Corporation said it had resolved all indicators of forced labour in its operations, citing a report by independent consultant Impactt Limited.
The world’s largest medical glove maker said it had resolved all eleven indicators of forced labour as determined by the International Labour Organization. The resolution has been verified by Impactt in a report dated April 22, Top Glove added.
How the pandemic helped gangmasters exploit the invisible agricultural workers of Italy
Date: 2 April 2021
Source: Forbes
They are the estimated 180,000 agricultural workers in Italy that are being exploited for farm work. Often, they are migrant workers, their vulnerable position making them subject to gross exploitation, sexual abuse, and violence according to a report on how Agro-mafia and gangmasters are exploiting workers produced by Placido Rizzoto and FLAI-CGIL, one of Italy’s largest labor unions.
Nearly 17 child migrants a day vanished in Europe since 2018
Date: 21 April 2021
Source: The Guardian
An investigation by the Guardian and the cross-border journalism collective Lost in Europe found that 18,292 unaccompanied child migrants went missing in Europe between January 2018 and December 2020 – equivalent to nearly 17 children a day. In 2020 alone, 5,768 children disappeared in 13 European countries.
Africa’s children need to get back to school to avoid ‘lost generation’
Date: 22 April 2021
Source: Reuters
With school closures, income losses and deepening poverty, children across Africa have been forced into work – in gold mines, cocoa farms and hawking on the streets.
Report: Fifth of UK victims of criminal exploitation are children
Date: 7 April 2021
Source: UK Modern Slavery Helpline and Resource Centre
At least one in five victims of criminal exploitation by drugs gangs in the UK are children, analysis of calls to a modern slavery and exploitation helpline shows.
Access the report here.
For highlights of the report, access this magazine article here.
Op-ed: Jewellery industry makes slow progress on responsible supply chains
Date: 10 April 2021
Source: Financial Times
Activists remain concerned with human rights and environmental issues as part of the mining process.
There are 40m people working in artisanal and small-scale mining, including 1m children, according to Human Rights Watch. It is a sector where the organisation has catalogued human rights abuses, including child labour, which has increased during the pandemic; trafficked and forced labour; deaths and injuries; and pollution and threatened rights to health, water, food and the environment.
Video: How human trafficking and bonded labor make capitalism possible
Date: 15 April 2021
Source: TEDx HKU
Did capitalism end slavery, or is labour exploitation necessary for capitalism to exist? And why are there so many victims of trafficking and modern slavery today? In this talk, Professor David Bishop from The University of Hong Kong explains how most human trafficking and modern slavery stem from globalization and the desire to chase cheap labour.
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.
人口販運倖存者的「和諧粉彩」
今年三月和四月,在 HER Fund 婦女動力基金的資助下,STOP 舉辦了三次「健康快樂」工作坊和一次「和諧粉彩」工作坊。「健康快樂」工作坊導師與多位倖存者分享了呼吸和放鬆的秘訣。在「和諧粉彩」工作坊中,倖存者們透過色彩表達她們走出創傷的勇氣和希望。
如有興趣為人口販運倖存者提供工作坊/興趣班,歡迎電郵至info@stophk.org聯絡我們。
疫情衝擊觀光客銳減 泰國性工作者斷生計
日期:2021年4月16日
來源:民視新聞網
根據統計,泰國當地色情產業有高達75%的人,一天吃不到一餐,更有4成5的人無家可歸。而這當中很多人是單親媽媽、或來自貧困農村,必須靠性工作者撐起起一家生計,但政府又以違法為理由,將他們排除在紓困名單之外,陷入走投無路的困境。
血汗海灣:石油富國的「現代奴隸」
日期:2021年4月18日
來源:風傳媒
27歲的伊莎來自非洲的獅子山共和國——世界上最貧窮的國度之一,她飄洋過海來到阿曼,深信有一份收入不錯的餐廳工作等著自己;但隨著手中護照突然被奪走,伊莎對未來的美好想像全在那一刻戛然而止。仲介搶走伊莎的護照後,將她塞進車內,驅車送她到一處民宅,並告訴伊莎:從今天起,她就是這戶人家的女傭。「我不是為了這份工作來到阿曼,」伊莎向《衛報》表示:「仲介對我說,他已經把我買了下來,所以他可以拿走我的護照。我覺得很困惑,你怎麼能「買下」一個人呢?」
美國指責馬來西亞Top Glove手套公司強迫勞動 全面禁止進口
日期:2021年3月31日
來源:香港01
美國海關及邊境保衛局(CBP)宣布,將全面停止進口由全球最大手套生產商、馬來西亞頂級手套(Top Glove)生產的手套商品,原因是有證據顯示該企業涉及強迫勞動,違反人權守則。
你可能很難想像:氣候變遷與兒童受暴息息相關──然而比起被當受害者,孩子們更想被聽見
日期:2021年3月31日
來源:換日線
當天然災難使人們失去所居、流離失所,家庭生計受到嚴重影響,都很可能促使家內暴力產生,而人口販賣、童婚以及童工發生的風險也大增。
加拿大參院人權委員會通過議案打擊國際器官販運
日期:2021年4月21日
來源:大紀元
4月19日(週一),加拿大參議院人權委員會一致通過了打擊國際人體器官販運的立法議案。該議案將在參議院進入三讀。
由參議員奧特拉吉安(Salma Ataullahjan)發起的參議院S-204法案規定,加拿大人在國外獲得未經捐贈者同意的器官屬非法,參與強制摘取器官者不得進入加拿大。
新書簡介:《大地之子》——戰後遭國家拋棄的孤兒⋯⋯
日期:2021年4月4日
來源:聯合新聞網
「隨著父親來到中國東北的日本男孩和家人失散,被農家收養,取了中國名字『大福』,當作家中的奴隸,好不容易逃走之後,竟淪為人口販子手中的『商品』……」
《白色巨塔》、《女人的勳章》作者山崎豐子深入中國三年、採訪千人、耗時八年寫就控訴之作:《大地之子》,本書忠實呈現中國改革開放前的黑暗與動盪,深究二戰最令人心酸的「戰爭孤兒」議題,作者曾不諱言表示:「這是我畢生不可能再挑戰第二次的作品。」
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.
We’re hiring!
Do you have a passion for social justice and want to make a difference in the world with your career? We’re seeking for a full-time Caseworker to join our team. For more information, visit the link here. Please send your resume and cover letter to career@branchesofhope.org.hk.
Application deadline: 26 April 2021
An exciting new pilot initiative for survivors of human trafficking
We are delighted to share that our new pilot programme Survivors Wellness Workshop has successfully launched this month. The first workshop was held on International Women’s day, led by a survivor! They learned the meaning behind IWD and made rose pins with ribbons together. Through long journeys of walking together, we see the survivors taking a center stage in leading initiatives.
Interested in teaching a workshop? Email us at info@stophk.org!
Ugandan LGBT activist escapes persecution and seeks to be reunited with sons
Jackie took part in campaigns to change discriminatory laws undermining LGBT rights and was forced into hiding from police persecution in the autumn of 2019. She eventually fled to Hong Kong, the first place she thought of since she had been here on business trips before.
Currently, Jackie communicates regularly with NGOs, including STOP, and pro bono lawyers to clear the legal hurdles of bringing her sons to Hong Kong. She is also raising funds for flight tickets for her sons to reunite with her in Hong Kong through a crowdfunding appeal. If you can, please make a donation, or show your support by sharing Jackie’s story to friends and family.
North Korea enslaved South Korean prisoners of war in coal mines
Date: 25 February 2021
Source: BBC
Generations of South Korean prisoners of war are being used as slave labour in North Korean coal mines to generate money for the regime and its weapons programme, according to a report released by a human rights organisation. The report is based on the accounts of 15 people who have first-hand knowledge of North Korea’s coal mines. The BBC interviewed one of the contributors and we have independently heard from four others who claim to have suffered and escaped from North Korea’s coal mines.
Gender discrimination in Vietnam fuels trafficking of women and girls
Date: 1 March 2021
Source: Reuters
Five girls, five million Vietnamese dong (VND). That’s about US$217, or US$44 per girl. That’s how much a human trafficker, a 19-year-old woman barely older than her victims, was making by selling the girls across the border from Vietnam into China. Luckily, Vietnamese border guards caught them being loaded onto a boat by the trafficker. I interviewed them the morning after their rescue, shell-shocked and terrified by their ordeal.
Silk slaves: India’s bonded laborers are forced to work to pay off debts
Date: 13 March 2021
Source: CNN
The state of Karnataka, located in southwest India, is known for its silk. Mulberry trees grow in abundance, feeding silkworms and a centuries-old textile industry. But while silkworms prosper here, many people in the industry do not. In India, the average silk worker is paid less than US$3 a day — small compensation for an industry estimated to be valued at over US$14 billion globally. Part of the workforce is trapped in bonded labor, a form of modern-day slavery in which people work in often terrible conditions to pay off debt.
Children in Congo turn to motorbike taxis for work as COVID-19 bites
Date: 4 March 2021
Source: Reuters
Bienvenu is one of thousands of Congolese children to have joined the labour force over the last year due to the new coronavirus. Navigating traffic and dodging cops in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, the 16-year-old has been working illegally as an underage moto-taxi driver since his uncle lost his travel agency job five months ago. “It’s not my choice to do this job. I decided to do it in order to help my family” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Alone in Oman: Covid worsens abuse for trafficked women
Date: 23 March 2021
Source: The Guardian
Isha knew she was in trouble when her passport was snatched from her hands. The 27-year-old from Sierra Leone had just arrived in the Omani capital, Muscat, believing she was to start a well-paid job at a restaurant. Instead, her recruitment agent bundled her into a car and drove her to a house where she was told she would be working as a live-in maid. “My agent told me he could take my passport because he had bought me,” she says. “I was confused. How can you buy a human being?”
Home Office admits new immigration plans may see more trafficking victims locked up
Date: 24 March 2021
Source: The Independent
UK Ministers are planning to make it more difficult for trafficking survivors to be released from detention as part of plans to prevent serious criminals from taking advantage of modern slavery safeguards by using them to prevent their removal from the country. But NGOs warn that the changes would condemn more genuine victims to time behind bars and mark a “backward step” on the UK’s commitment to protect and support survivors of slavery.
Access the article here.
Read more: Brexit farm workers scheme found fueling risk of slavery in UK
Opinion: A gymnastics coach was charged with human trafficking. What does that mean?
Date: 26 February 2021
Source: The New York Times
Of all the charges brought against the former U.S. gymnastics coach John Geddert, the most alarming seemed to be the 20 counts of human trafficking. The charges, represent a creative legal strategy for prosecutors, one that experts say could set a precedent for future legal fights involving coaches in the high-pressure world of elite sports. Although many people associate human trafficking with sexual abuse and people smuggling, its actual definition is much broader, encompassing exploitation and forced labor. That makes the term ripe for exploration in the context of abusive athletic environments.
Photography: Helping trafficking survivors out of the shadows
Date: 7 March 2021
Source: Forbes
Matilde Simas ‘s documentary photographs features a group of girls between the ages of 9 and 16 in the Philippines. Some escaped from cybersex dens. Seven were intercepted in the Manila Airport just before boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia. The paying work they had been promised by an unscrupulous employment agency was, in fact, domestic slavery. Simas spent time getting to know the girls, following their progress at a long-term shelter for trafficking survivors. “My aim is to empower survivors,” Simas explains, the resulting portraits speak volumes about trauma and resilience.
Report: Pandemic forcing girls in south-east Asia and Pacific out of school and into marriage
Date: 15 March 2021
Source: The Guardian
Thousands of adolescent girls across south-east Asia and the Pacific are being forced to leave school and get married instead as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. A new report by Plan International Australia highlighted the importance of secondary education for girls, and detailed the increased risk and long-term impacts of child, early and forced marriage in the region. The girls spoken to for the report “overwhelmingly” wanted to stay in school, said the gender equality charity’s CEO, Susanne Legena. “Girls know the value better than anybody.”
Access the article here.
Read more: How an Indonesian woman is fighting child marriage
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
誠徵全職個案工作員
我們正在尋找有志捍衛社會公義,對人口販運議題有熱誠和相關經驗的夥伴加入我們的團隊。
按此了解職位詳情。有意者請將履歷電郵至career@branchesofhope.org.hk
申請截止日期:2021年4月26日
互助培力 協助倖存者充權
STOP在3月份正式開展了全新計畫 Survivors Wellness Workshop,並於三八婦女節完滿舉辦首個工作坊。當日的參與者除對婦女節的歷史意義有了更深一層認識,亦在同是倖存者的導師的指導下,學會製作絲帶玫瑰扣針。在伴倖存者同行的漫漫過程,我們看見他/她們積極擔起帶領倡議的重要角色。
如有興趣為人口販運倖存者提供工作坊/興趣班,歡迎電郵至info@stophk.org 聯絡我們。
逃出恐同烏干達 單親媽媽眾籌望與孩子團聚
Jackie因參與反歧視同志法的行動,而被警方追捕,被逼逃亡。選擇香港,只因她曾在工幹期間來過這個地方,她甚至來不及想,來到香港做一位尋求庇護者是怎樣的光景。
現時Jackie幸得慈善團體及義務律師支持,協助處理兩名兒子到達香港時申請庇護的法律程序,但她還需要支付兒子及陪同親友從烏干達來香港的機票。她正在進行眾籌,你可以透過捐款,協助她離開這個困境。
舞台劇演員兼導演黃嘉威藉詞拍照侵犯4女童 認18罪還柙候判
日期:2021年3月5日
來源:蘋果日報
舞台劇導演兼演員黃嘉威自2014年起,4年間藉詞為韓國網站拍攝少女照,先後誘騙4名在網上社交平台認識的女童到賓館拍裸照,並進行非法性交。被告被捕後,遭搜出電腦和手機內藏逾3,000幅淫照和25段影片。涉案事主共4人,年齡介乎13至15歲。
北韓金氏政權的世襲奴隸:數十萬集中營囚犯與家屬 世世代代遭強迫採礦
日期:2021年2月25日
來源:風傳媒
南韓非政府組織「北韓人權公民連線」早前公布一份名為「北韓血汗煤炭出口」的調查報告,揭露北韓政府自1970年代以來在平安南道煤炭礦場設置多個政治監獄集中營,強迫數十萬囚犯與他們的家人與孩子世世代代為政府勞動,以支撐金氏家族的奢靡生活與大規模毀滅性武器計畫。報告指出,北韓境內依礦坑而建的集中營仍在繼續擴建。報告作者之一的霍薩尼亞克呼籲,聯合國應全面調查北韓奴隸制和強迫勞動,包括「煤炭和其他礦產的開採、非法出口,以及有關的國際供應鏈」。
德國專家解析中國扶貧報告 證實北京在新疆實施強迫勞動
日期:2021年3月3日
來源:德國之聲
中國南開大學2019年12月發布的一份的《新疆和田地區維族勞動力轉移就業扶貧工作報告》(簡稱《南開報告》),成了中國政府推動新疆維吾爾族勞務輸出的證據。雖然《南開報告》已被下架,德國的新疆問題專家鄭國恩(Adrian Zenz)對其進行了分析。鄭國恩指出,中國政府對新疆維吾爾族進行勞動力轉移是為了「同化少數維族人員」與「減少維族在新疆地區的人口密度」。
Saraiyah的故事:一位印尼女性是如何與童婚抗爭的?
日期:2021年3月6日
來源:德國之聲
Saraiyah經常會冒險抗爭,反對龍目島偏僻地區的少女被迫嫁人。為此,她面臨來自長輩、宗教領袖甚至父母的壓力……
涉性侵及人口販運 美國奧運女子體操隊前教練自盡
日期:2021年2月27日
來源:明報
美國奧運女子體操隊前教練格德特被控多項人口販賣和性侵罪名,包括兩項涉及性侵一名年齡介乎13至16歲運動員的罪名,他稍後被發現自殺身亡。當年率先指控納沙惡行的前體操運動員丹霍蘭德(Rachael Denhollander)稱,格德特的虐待行為早在2000年已為人所知,從來不是秘密,對USAG沒及早行動感驚訝。
+ 全文
+ 閱讀更多:性、霸凌、運動員──超越極限的磨練,如何模糊身體的「越界」
卡塔爾被揭血汗世界盃悲情真相 籌備十年周均12外勞客死異鄉
日期:2021年3月1日
來源:香港01
卡塔爾有多達200萬名外籍勞工,主要來自印度、斯里蘭卡、巴基斯坦、菲律賓等地。自10年前獲得世界盃主辦權後,卡塔爾政府便啟動建設計劃為2022年世界盃作準備。然而,英國《衛報》日前揭露該國在籌備世界盃期間,有至少6500名外籍勞工死亡,平均每周有12人死亡。據《衛報》報導,這群不幸客死異鄉的悲情外勞在過身後往往在沒有進行驗屍情況下,便被判斷為自然死亡,反映當地政府的死亡記錄欠缺透明度、嚴謹和細節。
美名校涉隱瞞教授性侵中國學生 遭兩女索償逾千萬美元
日期:2021年3月20日
來源:蘋果日報
兩名中國留學生向伊利諾大學厄巴納香檳分校提出訴訟,指學校為了繼續吸引中國留學生,隱瞞華裔教授徐鋼(Gary Gang Xu)涉嫌性侵女學生的惡行,並涉嫌販賣中國留學生、違反性暴力法等,向該校索償1,100多萬美元。原訴人律師韋基信(Alison Wilkinson)向《蘋果》表示,該校十分依賴來自中國留學生的收入,才對性侵行為袖手旁觀,而且加以隱瞞。
報告:「我們絕不能失去一整代少女」 東南亞與太平洋地區無數少女被迫輟學結婚
日期:2021年3月17日
來源:風傳媒
新冠肺炎肆虐全球超過一年,至今仍未平息,各國先後實施嚴格的封鎖令,衝擊經濟,無數家庭陷入經濟困頓,許多貧困家庭的女孩被迫輟學與結婚。英國慈善機構「救助兒童會」發布了最新的調查訪談報告,發現新冠疫情很可能導致東亞與太平洋地區新增逾120萬名女學生輟學。澳洲國際培幼會執行長萊格娜說,接受採訪的450名女孩「絕大多數」都想留在學校繼續讀書,「她們比任何人都更了解其價值」。
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。
Branches of Hope eNews March 2021
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.
Go Beyond The Label will return in just a moment!
February has been so fruitful sharing with all of you about The Bitter Truth Behind The Beans We Love. Thank you for the support and we hope the campaign has helped you gain some new insights about responsible consumerism. If you haven’t yet checked out our video, click here to learn more about Modern Slavery in the cocoa and coffee industries!
Don’t want to miss a thing? Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.
‘I want to go home’: Filipina domestic workers face exploitative conditions
Date: 27 January 2021
Source: The Guardian
The Philippine government says that about one-third of its 10 million citizens overseas are women working in “elementary” jobs – a term widely interpreted as referring to domestic workers. Human Rights Watch has long described migrant domestic workers as one of the world’s most vulnerable demographics. Now, nearly a year into a global pandemic, thousands of Filipina women are stranded with even fewer options to flee exploitation. Many of the Filipina women we interviewed across Asia, Europe and the Middle East lost jobs or had salaries cut – others were subjected to physical abuse…
Family of girl, 12, forced to marry abductor condemn Pakistan authorities
Date: 10 February 2021
Source: The Guardian
The family of a 12-year-old girl in Pakistan who was chained up in a cattle pen for more than six months, after allegedly being kidnapped and forced to marry her abductor, Khizer Hayat, have attacked the authorities for refusing to act. Police investigators initially held Hayat but then released him, saying there was no evidence the girl had not consented to the marriage and that a medical report said she was 16.
Thai child modelling agent charged over child sex abuse images
Date: 16 February 2021
Source: BBC
Thai police have arrested the head of a child modelling agency after more than 500,000 indecent images of children were found on computer hard drives. Danudetch “Nene” Saengkaew, 23, has been charged with importing pornographic images into a computer system and sexually abusing minors, the Bangkok Post reported. Police Col Korrawat Panprapakorn, director-general of the DSI, said the amount of evidence convinced investigators that the agency “must have been behind the abuse of thousands of children”.
Slavery survivors moved ‘without notice, without reason’ in London lockdown
Date: 29 January 2021
Source: The Guardian
Modern slavery survivors with young children were among refugees allegedly forced to move accommodation in London with as little as one day’s notice during coronavirus lockdowns this winter. The Home Office advises that if people seeking asylum in the UK need to be moved, a letter will be sent to them “confirming the arrangements”. But of the five women who spoke to the Guardian, all said they had received no letter before being told by phone or in person that they needed to move within days and, in some cases, without being given a reason.
In Afghanistan, a booming kidney trade preys on the poor
Date: 6 February 2021
Source: The New York Times
The illegal kidney business is booming in the western city of Herat, Afghanistan, fueled by sprawling slums, the surrounding land’s poverty and unending war, an entrepreneurial hospital that advertises itself as the country’s first kidney transplantation center, and officials and doctors who turn a blind eye to organ trafficking.
COVID fuelling risk of recruitment and use of children in conflict, UN and EU warn on International Day
Date: 12 February 2021
Source: Reuters
More children could be pushed into the joining armed forces and armed groups due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, senior United Nations and European Union (EU) officials said on International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers. In a joint statement, it was also warned that “only a fraction” of those released from armed forced and groups are able to access reintegration programmes or support.
Access the article here.
Read more: From the field — Ugandan forced to commit ‘horrendous acts’ as 9-year-old child soldier
A lawsuit is accusing 7 chocolate makers of complicity in child labour and trafficking in the cocoa trade
Date: 13 February 2021
Source: Business Insider
Human rights group International Rights Advocates has filed a federal class action lawsuit against mega chocolate makers like Nestle, Mars, and Hershey alleging complicity in child trafficking and forced child labour. In 2001, the companies signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol, which said they would cease using child labour by 2005, according to the IRAdvocates. But as time passed, the companies started giving themselves more leniency in regards to ending the use of child labour, the group says.
Access the article here.
Read more: 2020 List of goods produced by child labour or forced labour
Report: Share of children among trafficking victims increases; COVID-19 seen worsening overall trend in human trafficking
Date: 2 February 2021
Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
The number of children among detected trafficking victims has tripled in the past 15 years, while the share of boys has increased five times, according to the 2020 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. “Millions of women, children and men worldwide are out of work, out of school and without social support in the continuing COVID-19 crisis, leaving them at greater risk of human trafficking. We need targeted action to stop criminal traffickers from taking advantage of the pandemic to exploit the vulnerable,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly.
Access the article here.
Read the report here.
Documentary: Child trafficking in Europe
Date: 12 February 2021
Source: DW Documentary
What prospects do children have if they’ve grown up in a criminal environment? Pickpocketing is part of everyday life in the Paris Metro. Police say it’s often committed by Romanian children, working mostly for their own parents, who use threats to keep their children stealing. These children are merely the first link in the chain. Investigators were able to trace the money all the way to Romania, where it reappears in very specific places. The criminal business is organized by gangs all over Europe.
Access the article here.
Watch more: Contract killing in Colombia
Opinion: Now is the time to support sex workers’ rights
Date: 18 February 2021
Source: Open Democracy
The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures put in place to mitigate it have exacerbated existing inequalities by forcing millions of workers around the world to lose work and income. Sex workers have been particularly hard hit. The long-standing conflation of sex work and trafficking have effectively led to their exclusion from not only government relief and protective measures but also from most private and philanthropic support. Yet the explicitness of the damage being done also presents us with an opportunity to turn the conversation around…
Access the article here.
Read more: Listening to working children is a legal obligation – not a choice
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.
Go Beyond the Label 系列期待下次再見!
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巴基斯坦12歲女童遭人綁架被迫下嫁 警方:相信她是自願的
日期:2021年2月10日
來源:ETtoday新聞雲
巴基斯坦一名年僅12歲的女童,於2020年6月自家中被帶走,並遭人關在牛舍中長達6個多月,被要求清理動物糞便,還多次遭受性侵,甚至被迫和對方結婚。女童家屬上警局報案,未料警方堅稱,他們相信女童是自願嫁給對方,便將男子釋放,更以女童父親是少數基督徒為由,對他使用歧視性字眼。
「連兒女都能賣了,賣腎又怎麼樣?」 阿富汗器官黑市興起
日期:2021年2月10日
來源:風傳媒
阿富汗西部省城赫拉特長年處於戰爭、饑荒與貧困狀態,助長非法器官交易猖獗。若非不得已,沒有人想冒險去做違法勾當。「這些人,他們需要錢,」當地教師法奇里向《紐約時報》說道。赫拉特貧民窟的街道深處,28歲的阿泰說他沒有一秒不對當初賣腎的決定感到後悔。他需要撫養13個家人,在賣腎之前還背有4000美元債務,「要做出決定很困難,但是我別無選擇,沒有人願意將自己的身體部位放棄給別人。」阿泰的腎臟賣得3800美元,但手術剝奪了他的謀生能力,至今他還是負債累累,無法支付房租或電費。
50萬張不雅照流出,泰國童模機構被查
日期:2021年2月18日
來源:新浪新聞網
泰國司法部特別案件調查廳(DSI)近日對該國一家知名兒童模特經紀公司Nene Modeling突擊搜查,逮捕一名涉嫌性侵兒童和製作傳播兒童淫穢信息的男子。案件受害人均為6歲至15歲的未成年男性,包括至少40名泰國男孩以及數千名來自其他國家的男孩。 犯罪嫌疑人丹努特今年28歲,他以兒童模特經紀人的身份先取得學校老師的信任,然後接近兒童,再鎖定目標實施性侵。家長亦以為丹努特的身份肯定經過了學校老師的審查,不會有問題。
捲入新疆強迫勞動 12家日企:將終止相關合作
日期:2021年2月22日
來源:經濟日報
在美國、英國陸續對新疆生產的棉花等製品實施進口限制後,日企也承擔類似的人權壓力。共同社詢問了14家被指與涉及強迫勞動的中企合作的日本企業,除了Panasonic拒絕評論外,其他日企若不是指無法核實相關指控,就是指沒有和涉嫌強迫維族人勞動的公司合作。而其中12家日企表示,若未來合作廠商被發現涉及強迫勞動,他們將終止或考慮終止業務。這12家日企包括優衣庫的母公司「迅銷」(Fast Retailing)、索尼(Sony)和日立(Hitachi)。
聯合國和歐盟:新冠大流行加劇了在衝突中招募和使用兒童的風險
日期:2021年2月12日
來源:聯合國新聞
聯合國和歐盟高級官員表示,由於新冠大流行的影響,可能有更多兒童被迫加入武裝部隊和團體。歐盟代表在一份聯合聲明中警告說,很少有被武裝部隊和團體釋放的人能夠被納入重返社會方案或得到支持,「我們負有共同責任,要建立一個可持續的體系,在任何時候都能保護所有兒童。」
人權組織控雀巢 Mars等朱古力商 涉助科特迪瓦可可農場奴役童工
日期:2021年2月13日
來源:蘋果日報
美國人權組織「國際權利倡導者」代表八位童工受害者,入稟起訴朱古力生產商雀巢、瑪氏、好時、嘉吉、億滋、Barry Callebaut和Olam,指他們涉嫌協助和教唆西非國家科特迪瓦的可可農場,大規模非法奴役童工。八名原告童年時被拐騙到科特迪瓦的可可園打工,但農場環境惡劣,他們除了被迫長時間工作,還要面對蚊叮蟲咬,且在缺乏保護下噴施肥和殺蟲化學劑,部份人手上更有使用彎刀收割時意外留下的明顯刀疤。不過最可惡是,說好了的薪水卻從未收過。
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評論:未成年網絡陷阱 — 疫情惡化的「兒童網路性勒索」怎麼防?
日期:2021年2月1日
來源:轉交國際
性勒索(Sextortion)是網路性剝削犯罪樣態的一種,約近十年前慢慢開始在全球延燒,到近五年成為越來越普及的犯罪樣態。這是一種發生在任何網路情境場域中、而且不分被害人的年紀、性別,且跨越國境的犯罪樣態。其中最常見的犯罪模式是,加害人透過懷柔或高壓的方式,說服18歲以下的未成年人分享自己裸露或性愛相關之圖片。根據加拿大非營利兒童保護組織Cybertip.ca的分析歸納指出,性勒索案件中,針對十幾歲男孩和女孩的被害人,在犯罪策略上可能略有不同…
評論:走了歐盟黃牌、又遭美國視為「血汗海鮮」,業者與政府如何應對?
日期:2021年2月2日
來源:報導者
美國在2020年9月30日發表《童工及強迫勞動製品清單》,台灣遠洋漁業的漁獲赫然在列。雖然美國目前並未表示將全面禁止台灣漁獲銷售至美國,但已有美國買家強力表達不改善就轉單的要求,讓漁業與水產公司緊張,也讓政府擔憂。經過多年努力,台灣在2019年被歐盟解除黃牌,何以一年後又被美國列管?為避免未來遭到美國制裁、讓台灣在2022年美國勞動部複檢時除名,業者開始進行哪些改革?漁業署為何開始思考「減船計畫」?
報告:「一條人命不如幾克毒品」 新冠肺炎讓販賣更猖獗
日期:2021年2月3日
來源:太報
聯合國毒品和犯罪問題辦公室(UNODC)於2日發布《2020人口販賣研究報告書》,說明去年受害人數超過四萬九千人,其中三分之一是兒童,他們大多來自極度貧困、失能家庭,或者被家庭遺棄,被賣到高收入國家性剝削、強迫犯罪或乞討,到低收入國家則是成為童工。而販賣目的約有50%屬於性剝削者,另有少數人則是落入器官摘除組織,而每位受害者的價值可能只有幾百美元,比幾克安非他命都不如。
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.
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We are honoured to partner with Cacao! Join us in the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking – place your order now through Whatsapp/Signal/phone: 9780 7360 or email carolyn@cacao.hk
View Cacao’s product list here. *HK$30 delivery fee per order. Free delivery for orders above HK$300. Delivery service not available for the Outlying Islands.
Our Go Beyond the Label series is back!
This time, we’ll be focusing on the ethical supply chains in the cocoa and coffee industries. Wish to celebrate sustainably with your loved ones this CNY and Valentine’s? Stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram to find out more!
Review our 2020 Go Beyond The Label series on Fashion.
Cybercrimes from ‘sextortion’ to love scams surge, scammers prey on young spending more time online amid Covid-19 pandemic
Date: 25 December 2020
Source: South China Morning Post
Cybercrimes in Hong Kong have doubled compared with a year before, including scammers who blackmailed victims as young as 11 years old into providing nude photos, as students spent more time online amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cambodia adds human trafficking lessons to schools
Date: 31 December 2020
Source: VOA
The new lessons will help students understand the different forms of human trafficking, the roles of schools and communities in prevention, and the relevant laws and rights, the deputy head of the Cambodian government’s counter-trafficking agency said. “Education is part of prevention,” said Chou Bun Eng, whose office developed the lessons with the education ministry and will train teachers to deliver them.
BlackRock raps board of world’s biggest glove maker over worker safety
Date: 7 January 2021
Source: Reuters
In July 2020, the United States banned two units of Top Glove over forced labour allegations. The board of directors of Malaysian firm Top Glove Corp, the world’s largest maker of medical grade gloves, has failed egregiously in protecting its workers from COVID-19, U.S. investor BlackRock said, calling for its removal. BlackRock’s comments were the first public criticism of Top Glove from an investor since the virus outbreak among workers.
Access the article here.
Read more: Malaysia’s Top Glove fired whistleblower before virus outbreak
‘It is modern-day slavery’: Migrant workers from Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara face trafficking, abuse
Date: 17 January 2021
Source: South China Morning Post
It was around 3am when Antonious Remigius Abi was awoken by frantic knocking on his front door. When he opened it, he found six young women carrying what seemed like all their worldly possessions. While their arrival on that night was dramatic, it was not particularly surprising. The softly spoken ethics professor has become known in Medan over the past few years as the main source of support for migrant workers from NTT fleeing abuse from their employers and wanting to return home.
Britain’s M&S backs call to stop forced labour in China’s Xinjiang
Date: 7 January 2021
Source: Reuters
The United Nations estimates China has detained at least 1 million Uighurs and other minorities in camps in Xinjiang, where many of them are said to be put to work in textile factories. British retailer Marks & Spencer said it did not work with any supplier in or source from Xinjiang but publicly supported the call to action to “help play its part in driving meaningful change at scale”.
Inside Germany’s abattoirs — the human cost of cheap meat
Date: 8 January 2021
Source: Financial Times
While Germany is known for strong trade unions and harmonious labour relations, several pockets of its economy are dependent on cheap migrant labour and have been accused of exploitative conditions — from trucking and home nursing to parcel delivery and seasonal harvests. Nowhere was this starker than in the service of cheap meat.
The baby-selling scheme: Poor pregnant Marshall Islands women lured to the US
Date: 8 January 2021
Source: The Guardian
Rolson Price still scans Facebook for his daughter’s picture. He is one of dozens of victims of an extraordinary and brazen human trafficking ring, operating for years across the Marshall Islands archipelago and three states of the United States of America. The scheme involved pregnant Marshallese women being lured to the United States and enticed, with offers of $10,000 and the promise of a new life in America, to give up their babies, which were then adopted out to US couples willing to pay four times that amount for a child.
Looking ahead: top priorities to tackle modern slavery in 2021
Date: 8 January 2021
Source: Freedom United
As the United Nations’ goal of ending modern slavery by 2030 comes another year closer, experts are worried that the gains made against modern slavery and human trafficking risk being undone by the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading academics, activists, officials, and experts identified three priorities for the anti-slavery movement in 2021.
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.
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由即日起至2月28日,凡使用代碼「STOP21」於Cacao購買朱古力,Cacao會將40%收益撥捐STOP支持我們的反現代奴役工作。為了令大家食朱古力食得安心,Cacao零內疚朱古力選用環保原料,使用沒有涉及童工的哥倫比亞可可豆,又購入非牟利保育團體青山綠水協會的棕櫚糖,保育印尼瀕危雨林。透過舉辦朱古力工作坊,Cacao與顧客展開良心消費與終結現代奴役的對話。
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Go Beyond the Label 系列回來了!
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裸聊案首10月757宗增4倍 310學生受害人最細11歲 料與停課有關
日期:2020年12月25日
來源:香港01
近年本港科技罪案有上升趨勢,當中裸聊勒索案升幅顯著,大增3.9倍,錄得757宗,受害人亦有年輕化趨勢,七成人年齡介乎10至29歲,310人為學生。警方同時發現,裸聊騙徒最近採用新作案手法,遊說受害人下載偽裝交友App的惡意軟件,套取手機資料及偷錄裸聊過程,從而進行勒索,年紀最輕受害人僅11歲。疫情下亦有不少學生墮入風化案,曾有女學生於網上認識陌生人後應邀外出,於住所附近後巷遭施暴。
「教育是預防的一部分」:柬埔寨學校增防制人口販運課程
日期:2020年12月26日
來源:世界播報
柬埔寨政府反人口販運機構副局長表示,新課程將幫助學生了解不同形式的人口販運,學校和社區在預防中的作用,以及相關法律和權利。反人口販運慈善機構Chab Dai的項目經理Chan Saron表示,「孩子們需要知道具體的情況(才能有效預防販運):人口販子常用的伎倆有甚麼?甚麼是強迫結婚?中國﹑泰國或越南的真實情況是甚麼?」
大馬頂級手套輕忽疫情 大股東貝萊德欲下架董事
日期:2021年1月7日
來源:時報資訊
美國資產管理公司貝萊德(BlackRock)欲將馬來西亞醫用手套製造商頂級手套(Top Glove)的現任董事除名,因為這家頂級手套公司,未能善盡保護自己生產線的員工,免於新冠病毒的危害。2020年7月,頂級手套因涉及強迫勞動,遭到美國發出扣押令,禁止其產品進入。馬來西亞當局也打算以提供劣質宿舍環境名義,向該公司開罰。同年年底,頂級手套爆發逾五千名外籍勞工集體染疫,隨後被揭開除了一位曾舉發頂級手套輕忽疫情傳染性的吹哨員工。
「現代奴役法案」禁止企業涉入新疆勞動供應鏈 英國外相將祭出懲罰方案
日期:2021年1月13日
來源:上報
英國外交大臣拉布(Dominic Raab)12日宣布,將頒布方案確保「現代奴役法案」(Modern Slavery Act)規範對象擴及英國公私部門,保證此後「沒有任何英國企業能自新疆強迫勞動獲益,更不得涉足他們的供應鏈體系」,否則將對其祭出高額罰款重裁。英國聲明表示,相關證據都在在顯示新疆人權迫害問題情況嚴峻、十足威脅該區供應鏈。
+ 全文
+ 閱讀更多:馬莎百貨向新疆原材料落閘 成首間抵制強迫勞動國際企業
聯合國發起2021年消除童工現象國際年
日期:2021年1月15日
來源:聯合國新聞
在過去十年中,童工現象已減少38%,但目前全球仍有1.52億兒童受到影響。新冠疫情使情況進一步惡化,對經濟地位本已脆弱的人群帶來更多的貧困,並可能使多年來與童工現象對抗所取得的進展發生逆轉。停課加劇這種情況,數以百萬計的兒童正在努力為家庭收入做出貢獻。並造成婦女、男子和兒童更容易受到剝削。為此,國際勞工組織與「8.7聯盟全球夥伴關係」合作,發起2021消除童工現象國際年,以鼓勵採取立法和實際行動在全世界消除童工現象。
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+ 閱讀更多:兒童新娘人數 30 年來首度急升,全球女孩生存警報亮紅燈/《2020 年全球少女報告》
美搗人口販賣集團 救回33兒童
日期:2021年1月25日
來源:蘋果日報
美國洛杉磯聯邦調查局指,在本月一次反人口販賣的行動中尋回33名失蹤兒童,其中八人被性侵犯,一名涉案疑犯被起訴。局方指,有兩名兒童曾多次獲救後被再販運,「這種惡性循環凸顯受害者和執法者在嘗試阻止他們返回被虐的處境時面臨的挑戰。受害者或不會認為自己是被販賣,甚至不知道自己正被販賣」。
評論:守護海洋缺一不可 改善漁工人權、發展永續漁業
日期:2021年1月22日
來源:綠色和平
您也許會好奇,近年來綠色和平為什麼在倡議守護海洋的同時,也向政府、企業疾呼改善遠洋漁工人權?這一群在海上做工的人,與維護海洋環境有什麼樣的關係?而不當對待外籍漁工,竟與船家過度捕撈、非法漁業等危害海洋生態存續的行為密不可分,甚至可能危及臺灣遠洋漁業的發展與商機?
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。
Branches of Hope eNews January 2021