Branches of Hope eNews July 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.
HONG KONG
HK Unveils Another Case of Domestic Helper Abuse
Date: 11 June 2021 | Source: Standard Hong Kong
Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body received a request for help from a 37-year-old domestic helper. She was physically abused by her female employer during her 14-month contract. The helper had not reached out for help fear that she would lose her job until she took the chance to flee on May 30, filing a report at a police station. The employer was detained for a few hours for investigation and had been released on bail.
HK domestic workers faced wave of sex attacks and physical abuse during pandemic ‘lockdown’
Date: 29 June 2021 | Source: Hong Kong Free Press
One survey has revealed that reports of sexual abuse and harassment suffered by foreign domestic workers at their workplace tripled in 2020, while another found that 40,000 of such workers in Hong Kong were given zero rest days during the pandemic.
ASIA
Thai General Jailed for Trafficking Rohingya Refugees, Died in Prison
Date: 2 June 2021 | Source: SCMP
Manus Kongpan, the former Royal Thai Army lieutenant general who was jailed in 2017 for human trafficking and corruption after the discovery of Rohingya refugees in mass graves, has died in prison.
Vietnamese Being Trafficked by Chinese Nationals to Work in Cambodian Casinos
Date: 18 June 2021 | Source: SCMP
Vietnamese citizens are being lured into migrating to Cambodia, where victims will be brought to hotels and casinos in Sihanoukville and forced to work 16 hours a day. Sihanoukville has received massive Chinese investment in recent years, and its status as one of the primary destinations for labour trafficking has been consolidated by the effects of the pandemic.
GLOBAL
Dozens of Women Sue Pornhub, Alleging It Published Nonconsensual Clips
Date: 9 June 2021 | Source: NBC News
More than 30 women sued Pornhub, accusing it of violating federal sex trafficking laws, distributing non-consensual content. The suit alleges that Pornhub’s parent company, MindGeek, is a criminal enterprise that purchases, launders, and uploads illegal content often obtained through human trafficking and sexual assault.
A Group of Migrant Girls Accused Guards at Libya Detention Centre of Sexual Assault
Date: 20 June 2021 | Source: Aljazeera
A group of teenage migrant girls housed in a government-run detention centre in Libya has accused guards at the facility of sexually assaulting them. A 17-year-old Somali girl told the Associated Press she was rescued by Libyan security forces after she was captured by traffickers, who sexually abused her. Traffickers are notorious for extorting from, torturing, and assaulting migrants and refugees like her trying to reach Europe.
RESOURCES
[Report] How the Pandemic Puts Businesses at Higher Risk of Being Linked to Modern Slavery
Date: June 2021 | Source: Dow Jones Professional
The disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has created the perfect breeding ground for this issue to thrive in corporate supply chains, and many companies could be unwittingly falling foul of anti-slavery laws as a result. Dow Jones partnered with Edelman Data and Intelligence to help businesses understand how modern slavery has evolved with the pandemic, and why they need to be more vigilant to the risks.
[Report] Forced Labour at Sea: The case of Indonesian Migrant Fishers
Date: 31 May 2021 | Source: Greenpeace
Greenpeace Southeast Asia analysed complaints from Indonesian migrant fishers over 13 months (May 2019 to June 2020) to show how forced labour indicators have increased. Greenpeace says 26 firms from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Ivory Coast, and Nauru were cited in scores of forced labour complaints.
[Video] The Nth Room Case: The Making of a Monster (Documentary on Online Sex Crime in Korea)
Date: 3 June 2021 | Source: The Korea Times
This is an hour-long documentary on online sex crime cases involving blackmail, cybersex trafficking, and the spread of sexually exploitative videos via the Telegram app between 2018 and 2020 in South Korea. It will also be looking into how similar cases are being seen in other Asian countries, and how, and which social media platforms have become a central hub for criminals in Korea, China, Japan, and other parts of Asia.
[Event] Asia Region Anti-Trafficking Conference (ARAT)
The Asia Region Anti-Trafficking Conference is happening online on 19-22 July this year. It is a joint partnership from Be Slavery Free, Chab Dai Coalition, and The Freedom Story. The conference aims to:
- Develop multi-sector learning and partnerships to improve our responses to the issues of human trafficking and slavery in Asia.
- Be updated on the trends and changes in the last 3-5 years in the region and its impact for the future to establish the realities of our context
- Learn from each other the best practices in what we do in our contexts
- Identify key industries and contexts for collaborative action
Find out more at https://www.aratconference.com/.
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
性工作者、外籍勞工或外傭好多時候喺唔知情、冇選擇甚至被要脅嘅情況下觸犯咗法例，但就係怕「原告變被告」而選擇唔出聲。其中一項預防同處理人口販運及剝削個案嘅重要政策係將性工作非刑事化同埋豁免檢控 人口販運嘅受害人，從而鼓勵求助、將真正嘅罪犯繩之於法同埋增加阻嚇人口販運嘅作用。
香港
外傭疑被禁出門長達 14 個月 每周僅 2 小時休息
日期：2021年6月11日 ｜來源：立場新聞
亞洲移居人士聯盟指外傭 Eden 在 14 個月受僱期間，未曾被容許離開僱主家中，每周只有 2 小時休息。據指，僱主經常掌摑、腳踢和抓傷 Eden ，令她身體出現多處傷口及瘀傷。荃灣刑事調查隊翌日拘捕一名 35 歲女子，涉嫌襲擊致造成實際身體傷害，被捕女子已獲准保釋候查，須六月下旬向警方報到。
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再有外傭疑被虐 釣竿鞭打 傷腳翌日始縫針 日均休息僅5小時
日期：2021年6月11日 ｜來源：晴報
再有外傭懷疑被虐。有外傭團體接獲一名印傭求助，稱被男僱主多番用腳踢及扯頭髮，更曾被釣竿鞭打、被魚勾刺傷，工作時腳部受傷亦延至翌日才可縫針，並需長期照料近百隻寵物，日均僅休息5小時。警方指上周接獲一名28歲外籍女子報案，指遭男僱主用釣魚工具襲擊致身體多處受傷，本周一拘捕1名47歲男子，涉普通襲擊罪，暫准保釋候查。
印傭控男僱主強姦 懷孕後被女僱主要求墮胎
日期：2021年6月29日 ｜來源：香港01
29歲印尼外傭Putri 2019年9月抵港，為首個僱主工作時，因為疫情流行，因而從未放假。而為第二位家住元朗的僱主工作期間，遭到了性騷擾和性侵犯。一個月後，Putri身體不適，女僱主帶她看醫生後發現她已經懷孕，當知道是自己的丈夫強姦Putri後，竟命令Putri 做終止懷孕的手術，否則會被送回印尼。4月25日，她在放假時，聯繫外勞事務中心求助，並在5月9日向屯門警署報案，案件正在調查中。
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亞洲
印度上千孩童因新冠肺炎成為孤兒 疫情後不可忽視的人口販運
日期：2021年6月7日 ｜來源：遠見
印度疫情死亡人數急增，當地不少父母因疫情過身，孤兒數目上升；不少人呼籲收養孤兒，甚至在社交媒體上刊登那些有待領養的兒童消息。不法之徒利用此機會犯案，裝作成有意領養孩子，實則是將那些遺孤販賣。專家強調，「在新冠肺炎封鎖期間，印度的孤兒院沒有得到政府的足夠支持，加上嚴重的資源限制，使他們照顧的兒童面臨更大的風險。」
《海上強迫勞動》調查報告
日期：2021年6月23日 ｜來源：風傳媒
綠色和平公布《海上強迫勞動》調查報告，由台灣人經營管理的權宜船大旺涉及強迫勞動，而大旺已是第二次被漁工投訴。早前大旺船上印尼籍漁工疑遭受台籍幹部肢體暴力後身亡，亦曾被美國海關合理懷疑涉及強迫勞動而發出暫扣令。外籍漁工人權保障聯盟呼籲，行政院應盡快整合相關部會，提出改善措施。
N號房男童版 26歲韓男脅逼65名男童拍近7千段色情片
日期：2021年6月25日 ｜來源：香港01
2019年，韓國曾經爆發大型網絡性奴隸事件「N號房」，令全球嘩然。沒想到2年後，竟然又再發生類似事件。一名26歲的韓國男生，涉嫌在社交媒體上誘使多名未成年男童拍攝裸照，手法與「N號房」相同。目前確認的受害者就有65人，全部都為未成年男童。
+ 全文
+ 觀看N號房紀錄片《The Making of a Monster》
國際
美法院：Facebook或需為拐賣性奴負責
日期：2021年6月29日 ｜來源：明報
美國得州最高法院裁定，Facebook可能要為人口販子透過其平台拐賣性奴負法律責任，並允許被誘拐的受害者對facebook提出3項民事訴訟。此前多名受害者指控facebook，明知其平台存在人口拐賣的違法行為，卻故意縱容。
私密影片遭外流 34女控告網站 Pornhub
日期：2021年6月19日 ｜來源：星島
Pornhub網站近來備受爭議。三十四名女子向美國加州法院提出民事訴訟，控告全球最大成人網站之一的Pornhub及其母公司，在知情及未經當事人同意下，利用上載該網站的強姦或性愛影片，包括未成年性愛影片牟利，向網站索償。
評論及資源
亞洲區反販運會議將於7月19-22日在線上進行
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
Serving up awareness: our brand new “Word of the Week” series
Who are the victims of human trafficking? How do traffickers lure people in? At what degree of exploitation is it considered human trafficking? Stay tuned with us on Instagram and Facebook for our weekly knowledge bite to learn more about human trafficking in Hong Kong!
Knowledge information exchange is essential for effective human trafficking prevention and intervention. On 11 and 14 May, Kara, our Assistant Programme Officer, shared about STOP’s work and Hong Kong’s human trafficking problem with 90 incredible students at Chinese International School. On 23 May, STOP also had the privilege to take part in Justice Conference Asia 2021 as a panelist for the discussion on Resolving the Tensions of Trafficking in Asia, alongside experienced field experts from Hong Kong Dignity Institute, A21 Thailand, International Justice Mission and Mekong Club.
Thank you for having us, CIS and Justice Conference!
Wish to arrange a training workshop with STOP? Email us at info@stophk.org for more information.
HONG KONG
Hong Kong owner of Pacific island casino sued over forced labor, US Court awards $5.43M in damages to ex-workers
Date: 25 May 2021
Source: Pacific Daily News
District Judge Ramona Manglona awarded US$5.43 million in damages to seven Chinese construction workers who had been hired to build the Imperial Palace casino, on Saipan. The workers were, “subjected to over 12- hour workdays without any rest and sometimes 24-hour work shifts, paid below legal minimum wage, crammed into dormitories, yelled at by their supervisors, forced to pay fines for arriving late or not working hard enough, and subjected to extreme, dangerous and inhumane work conditions,” the decision and order states.
ASIA
In this picture taken on December 4, 2020, Allison Lee, secretary general of the Ilan Migrant Fishermen Union (YMFU), points at a picture of missing Indonesian fisherman Tolani during an interview near Suao harbour in Ilan. – Taiwan’s lucrative fishing industry has come under fire for subjecting its migrant workforce to forced labour and other abuses, contrasting with the governments promotion of the democratic island as a regional human rights beacon. – TO GO WITH Taiwan-Indonesia-Philippines-fishing-rights-labour,FOCUS by Amber Wang in Taipei and Ron Lopez in Manila (Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP) / TO GO WITH Taiwan-Indonesia-Philippines-fishing-rights-labour,FOCUS by Amber Wang in Taipei and Ron Lopez in Manila (Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
Rampant fishing industry abuses dull Taiwan’s rights record
Date: 14 May 2021
Source: Hong Kong Free Press
Taiwan’s lucrative fishing industry has come under fire for subjecting its migrant workforce to forced labour and other abuses, contrasting with the government’s promotion of the democratic island as a regional human rights beacon. Migrant fishermen interviewed by AFP said they routinely had to work up to 21 hours a day, enduring verbal and physical abuse as well as zero communication with the outside world. When pay finally arrived, it was often lower than agencies promised.
GLOBAL
‘I am not my trauma’: survivors of sexual abuse at a Ugandan girls’ shelter
Date: 29 April 2021
Source: The Guardian
Eve was just eight years old and recently orphaned when she was taken to live at a girls’ shelter in the Ugandan sector of Lake Victoria. Bery’s Place had been set up in 2006 by Bernhard “Bery” Glaser, a German national living in Uganda, as a refuge for traumatised children and victims of sexual violence. Yet Eve and other girls living there at the time say that Glaser was hiding a dark secret – he was using Bery’s Place as a cover for routine and systematic sexual and emotional abuse of the children in his care.
Growth in Burkina Faso gold mining fuels human trafficking
Date: 30 April 2021
Source: Associated Press News
For months, human traffickers beat and drugged Blessing, hauling the 27-year-old from one gold mine encampment to the next, where each night she was forced to sleep with dozens of men for less than $2 a person. The madam who lured Blessing to the landlocked West African nation of Burkina Faso with promises of a hair salon job, threatened to kill her if she tried to run away. “Nobody comes to your rescue,” said Blessing, wiping tears from her cheeks during a recent interview.
Indian workers allege ‘shocking violations’ in building Hindu temple in New Jersey
Date: 12 May 2021
Source: Reuters
The suit, filed by five of the workers, accuses their employer, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS, and related entities of recruiting them in India, bringing them to the United States and forcing them to work on the temple for more than 87 hours a week for $450 a month. Workers were allegedly kept under constant watch and were threatened with pay cuts, arrest and return to India if they spoke to outsiders.
Home Office must compensate trafficked women for lack of childcare, UK court rules
Date: 24 May 2021
Source: The Guardian
The Home Office must compensate female victims of sex trafficking whose children had to hear details of their abuse because no childcare was available during appointments, the high court has ruled. In support of the case evidence was gathered from a variety of experts including mental health experts who found it was harmful for children to be present at legal and medical interviews. One psychologist found that cortisol levels of mothers who are breastfeeding increased in this situation, which was harmful for the babies being fed.
RESOURCES
Video: I exposed how child slaves grow weed
Date: 27 April 2021
Source: Vice News
A parallel world of human trafficking exists in plain sight all around us, we just can’t see it. Modern slaves from Vietnam are working in nail bars, in restaurants and in brothels and cannabis farms across the UK. Guardian journalist Annie Kelly worked closely with lawyer and director at Duncan Lewis Ahmed Aydeed to tell the story of Minh and fight for his freedom.
Report: Chinese workers allege forced labor, abuses in Xi’s ‘Belt and Road’ program
Date: 30 April 2021
Source: The Washington Post
China’s Belt and Road initiative, which aims to connect Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe through Chinese-funded ports, bridges, 5G networks and other infrastructure, is built on the backs of workers who researchers say face exploitation that is exacerbated by the pandemic. New York-based China Labor Watch asserts in a new report that overseas Chinese workers are victims of human trafficking and forced labor.
Access the article here.
Read the report here.
Report: Global initiative to explore the sexual exploitation of boys – The Thailand report
Date: 14 May 2021
Source: Bangkok Post
A certain boy was unusually skinny for his age. Terrible circumstances forced him out of home and school and sent him to an orphanage. Lacking proper guidance, he was lured into alcohol and drugs, got severely punished, and decided to go to the city all by himself. Now homeless, he had no other choice but to work as a sex worker for survival. This real-life story did not happen in a faraway poverty-stricken land: he’s from Chiang Mai. And he was just 12… New research from ECPAT International carefully talked with 20 young people of ‘diverse SOGIE’ who are exchanging sex, to learn what their life is like.
Access the article here.
Read the report 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
打擊人口販運 從知識開始
咩人最易俾人恰？販運者通常點樣氹人落疊？剝削去到邊個位係人口販運？留意我們最新系列「每周一字」，話俾你知更多有關香港人口販運的問題！
你follow咗未?
* Instagram: @stop.hk
* Facebook: @STOPHK
知識及經驗交流是防制人口販運的重要一環！五月初，我們的助理項目主任 Kara 在漢基國際學校完成了兩場講座，與約90位學生分享了人口販運在香港的情況和STOP的工作。
我們亦有幸受邀出席全球特會2021 (Justice Conference Asia) 於23日舉行的小組研討會，與香港守護尊嚴中心、國際正義使命團、A21 Thailand及Mekong Club討論人口販運在亞洲的情況。
歡迎邀請STOP進行入校講座。想知更多，請電郵至info@stophk.org 查詢。
香港
港公司塞班島建賭場被控虐待工人 須賠7中國工人$4,212萬
日期：2021年5月25日
來源：蘋果日報
美屬塞班島一位法官24日下令，投資發展當地娛樂度假村的香港上市公司博華太平洋（Imperial Pacific International），因強迫7名中國建築工人在興建賭場時長時間在危險環境下工作，工人受傷時又不提供醫療，又以遞解甚至死亡作為恐嚇，要向7人賠償540萬美元（4,212萬港元）。
+ 全文
+ 閱讀更多：赴塞班打工慘變「黑工」 7中國勞工起訴承包商販賣人口強迫勞動
亞洲
越南漁工斷指變黑工 調查揭密台灣漁業「人肉市場」
日期：2021年5月12日
來源：風傳媒
監察委員王美玉、王幼玲、紀惠容發布外籍漁工遭轉「黑市」之調查報告，指出一名黃姓仲介假冒24艘漁船船員申請漁工又轉黑工，藉機撈掉薪資差額、勞健保與就業安定費。而在境內外籍漁工「被失聯」部份，勞動部不僅未確實掌握人數，碰到割斷手指、被扣押護照、被剋扣薪資的越南漁工，地方勞政單位竟也僅以「勞資糾紛」處理，衍然成為助長人肉市場的溫床。
國際
超過40萬名會員 德國破獲全球最大暗網兒童色情平台「男孩鎮」
日期：2021年5月4日
來源：地球圖輯隊
德國檢警3日宣布破獲全球最大暗網兒童色情平台，並且逮捕了四名德國男子。根據德國檢警提供的資料，這個平台叫做「男孩鎮」(Boystown)，至少從 2019年6月就開始營運，至今會員超過 40萬人，裡頭包含多個論壇，專門讓來自世界各地的會員交換性虐兒童的照片和影片，裡頭不乏牙牙學語的幼兒。
時薪1.2美元 新澤西州印度廟遭200工人集體提告
日期：2021年5月12日
來源：世界新聞網
新澤西州莫塞郡Robbinsville的一間印度廟，近200名印度籍工人集體控訴，每天工作超過12小時，僅付時薪1.2美元(約9.3港元)，還常威脅不服從將找移民局來逮捕。他們每天從事12至13小時危險苦工，包含將建築用石材浸泡化學物質，切割、堆砌石材，清垃圾等。原告律師Daniel Werner表示，廟方誘騙勞工來美，在圍牆內剝削勞力，有如奴隸，已進行多年，外界一無所知。
不怕感染怕挨打 疫情下的童工悲哀三部曲
日期：2021年5月25日
來源：中央廣播電臺
國際勞工組織(ILO)表示，全球童工人數在COVID-19疫情爆發前，原本已從2000年的2.46億人降至1.52億人。部份研究更顯示，貧窮每增加1%，童工就會增加0.7%。然而這場致命病毒導致學校停課、就業流失、貧困加劇，讓數百萬孩童面臨未成年勞工或流浪街頭的風險。一場疫情在全球肆虐、掠奪人命的同時，也讓無數兒童走上貧窮、失學、世代難以翻身的悲哀三部曲。
評論及資源
專題：從SWAG被抄，看數位情色產業大躍進下的法律衝撞、直播主的勞動現場
日期：2021年4月26日
來源：報導者
當網路科技不斷創新，數位化的浪潮裡， 台灣情色產業從線下到線上皆快速發展，其神祕面紗下涉入哪些灰色地帶？政府既有做法是否能有效把關、管理網路資訊？《報導者》訪問SWAG平台直播主、情色影片製作團隊以及第一線執法人員，試圖了解這個產業面貌，思考管制違法與保護自由的平衡。
倖存者故事：從「地獄」折返人間 三個逆境自強的女性充權故事
日期：2021年5月1日
來源：香港01
「充權」一詞來自英文名詞「Empowerment」，意指將權力授予特定人士，使他們有能力改變自身狀況，減低其無能與無奈感，廣泛用於對抗社會不公平處境的事件中。有三名有着無比勇氣、信心和力量的女性，在「充權」後，不單單在絕境中重新站起來，更以自己的生命故事影響更多生命。
報告：揭「一帶一路」強迫勞動 海外中國工人慘遭虐待、剝削
日期：2021年5月3日
來源：風傳媒
在習近平大力推動下，從非洲、拉美、中東到歐洲，從鐵路、港口到5G網路總部，無數打著「一帶一路」名號的建設項目在全球開展，也把超過百萬名中國勞工帶向世界各個角落。但在中國致力透過「一帶一路」倡議擴展經濟、外交影響力的目標，卻奠基在對本國工人的剝削甚至虐待之上。
十多名由國有企業或包商聘用的工人受訪時控訴，他們被騙到國外打黑工、護照遭雇主沒收、被強迫過度勞動，抗議工作條件的工人慘遭毆打或接受「思想教育」，而在全球爆發新冠肺炎疫情後，海外中國勞工的處境雪上加霜……
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 May 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.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
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!
HONG KONG
‘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.
ASIA
‘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.
GLOBAL
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.
RESOURCES
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.
本月焦點
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。
亞洲
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？」
國際
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。
評論及資源
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.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
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.
ASIA
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.
GLOBAL
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
RESOURCES
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。
香港
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。
亞洲
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……
國際
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。
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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。
評論及資源
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」。
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