Stamping Out Prostitution with an Olympic Baton

From the Asia Times:

By William Sparrow
June 15, 2008

BANGKOK - China, as the host of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in August, is beset with Olympic-size challenges as the government tries to assure that the "action" occurs in Beijing's stadiums and not its red-light districts and bars.

Last week, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games released a legal guide that itemized the preferred parameters for foreign visits, and expressly denied entry to certain types of undesirable visitors.

"There was no open prostitution 25 years ago," Jing Jun, a sociology and AIDS policy professor at Tsinghua University told the Washington Post in a 2007 article by Maureen Fan titled "Oldest Profession Flourishes in China". "Fifteen years ago, you didn't find sex workers in remote areas and cities. But now it's prevalent in every city, every county."

According to the same Washington Post article, "Estimates of the number of prostitutes in China vary widely, from 1 million who earn their primary income from sex, to eight or 10 times that, including people who sometimes accept money, gifts or rent in exchange for sex. That the numbers have been allowed to increase illustrates the tricky relationship officials have with the ancient profession."

Today, reports from colleagues in mainland China suggest prostitutes are everywhere, and not just of the Chinese variety. Contacts say that of the non-nationals practicing the sex trade, the most prevalent are Russian and Eastern European - and they command higher prices.

An expatriate journalist in Beijing, who wished to remain unnamed, said, "But as far as foreigners go [the sex industry] is largely confined to three [red-light] bar areas: Sanlitun, Hohai and Lidu [in Beijing] staffed almost wholly by Chinese women."

There is no "go-go" action - the kind otherwise infamous in Southeast Asia - as China is more of a freelance operation. As the journalist puts it, "There are 'lady bars' [in the districts mentioned above]. But the bars are rip-off joints, aimed at tourists. It is a quasi-Japanese hostess-style affair where the man picks a girl, buys her drinks [she earns commission on these], and pays for her time, then pays a lot more if they want sex."

Prostitution occurs in karaoke bars, "beauty salons", massage parlors and by street walkers. According to reports, all that is needed is a decent command of Mandarin to engage with these women. A foreigner stumbling into these venues uninitiated, or without local language skills, would at best find himself lost, at worst unwelcome.

These sex trades will surely be in full operation during the Games, no matter what measures the authorities enact. There is also no doubt that local venues will try to adapt to capitalize on the lucrative opportunity the Games will present. The massive influx of potential customers could easily mean a year's worth of work for some prostitutes - many of whom reportedly come from impoverished, rural backgrounds.

As has been the case at other international sporting events, local professionals will be augmented by enterprising foreign women. The 2006 football World Cup in Germany - where prostitution is technically legal - saw the number of sex workers rise from an estimated 400,000 to more than 700,000 - some estimated as many as 1.2 million. The "legal guidelines" mandate appears to be Beijing's first salvo in an upcoming battle against such an anticipated influx.

Digital information - specifically mobile phones and the Internet - will also cloud matters for the government. Even the so-called "Great Firewall of China" won't be able to stop working girls from making connections. In fact, recent reports have shown that Chinese authorities have struggled to adapt their enforcement to deal with even the local sex industry as "in-call/out-call" ladies have turned to technology to cover their tracks.

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U.S. Trafficking in Humans Report Criticizes China on Eve of Olympics

From Freedom Center:

By Paul Bernish
June 6, 2008

The U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report was released [this past June], but if you blinked, you probably missed hearing about it.

That’s a shame because the report — despite its flaws and allegations of political influence impacting its data — does give the general public an overall look at the nature and extent of human trafficking around the world. Neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post, for example, have yet run stories on the report, and broadcast news has been largely silent.

The 2008 report, released by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, concludes that while progress in combating human slavery is being made, the lack of enforcement of anti-trafficking laws in many nations is enabling perpetrators to escape punishment. The focus on prosecutions, Rice said, was a new emphasis of this year’s report.

The annual human trafficking assessment was mandated by Congress in the 2000 Trafficking in Persons Protection Act. It annually evaluates the efforts of 170 countries to combat human trafficking. The report aims to raise awareness of the scourge of modern slavery and to encourage countries to take action to prevent it.

A controversial aspect of the report is its ranking of countries in “tiers” based on an assessment of the government’s compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking as explained in the 2000 anti-trafficking legislation. Tier 2 and Tier 3 countries have moderate to severe challenges in controlling trafficking. Another category, “Tier 2 Watch List,” indicates countries in danger of falling to the bottom Tier 3.

The controversy arises for two reasons: while the State Department ranks the anti-trafficking efforts of other nations, the United States itself is not ranked, which has prompted many governments — including some allies — to accuse the American government of placing national self-interest above objective analysis. (Trafficking into and within the United States is detailed in a separate report each year. In the U.S. an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 victims are trafficked into the country each year).

Second, the rankings of nations appears to many to be unduly influenced by global political and economic factors that result in human rights violations being ignored.

The State Department counters this criticism by pointing out that U.S. efforts to combat trafficking involve partnerships with other countries, international and nongovernmental organizations. In fiscal year 2007, the U.S. government spent approximately $79 million to fund 180 anti-trafficking projects in about 90 countries. Since fiscal year 2001, the United States has funded more than $528 million for anti-trafficking projects worldwide.

Still, it’s hard to fathom the relatively benign Tier 2 ranking for China — which is hosting the 2008 Olympic Games in August. China, the report charges, has made insufficient efforts to combat trafficking, especially in regards to North Korean women who are trafficked into China as “wives” or prostitutes. Those North Koreans unlucky enough to be returned by authorities to North Korea routinely are punished by the North Korean regime, said Ambassador Mark Lagon, the director of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

Whether China deserves a lower ranking, one thing’s for sure: with the Beijing Olympics about to begin, it would have been reasonable to expect that the trafficking report would have generated much more extensive world-wide coverage. It still might, but it’s disappointing to see the international news media ignore profoundly important human rights issues to focus, instead, on athletic competition in a nation that appears to flaunt essential protections for its citizens.

Trafficking Victims Services Program Assistant Vacancy in Buffalo, NY

The International Institute of Buffalo is looking for a Human Trafficking Victim Services Program Assistant

Our Human Trafficking Victim Services department is working to grow and solidify comprehensive support services for recently rescued or escaped victims of human trafficking. In order to help meet this growing need, they are looking to hire a Program Assistant. This is an Americorps VISTA position.

Job Duties include:

Program Development: Assist in growing a system within each of the 8 counties that provides a seamless flow of services for victims of human trafficking including medical, legal, mental health, housing, education and safety planning assistance. Minimal direct client service responsibilities will be involved to accurately assess program needs.

Volunteer Recruitment/Management: Coordinate training and support for volunteers who provide housing, interpretation, and/or transportation to trafficking clients.

Resource Development & Fund-raising: Conduct community-based outreach for solicitation and distribution of funds and or items to support client household and personal care needs.

Grant Writing & Reporting: Assist in federal and state grant writing and reporting for TVSP.

Recommended Skills

The Program Assistant should possess the following skills:

1. Flexibility

2. Initiative
3. Ability to multi-task and thrive in a crisis-oriented organization

4. Demonstrated passion for working to end specific injustices that foreign-born trafficking victims encounter including poverty, racism, sexism, and class-ism.

5. Excellent oral and written communication skills

6. Experience as both an independent and team worker

7. Excellent interpersonal skills

8. Ease in working with and for individuals from various cultures
9. Access to personal vehicle

To apply, contact Lissa Piper at Americorps VISTA - lpiper@wnyamericorps.org

I have worked for this organization in the past. In fact, my time with the IIB was what initially brought my attention to the problem of human trafficking and it was where I was able to connect with international professionals in the field before beginning my research in Ukraine. IIB was a great pleasure to work for, and my colleagues were passionate and skilled. This is a terrific opportunity to work for an organization that contributes a great deal of time, effort and results to the field of counter trafficking.

Quebec Couple Arrested on Charges of Organizing Teen Prostitution

From the Montreal Gazette:

OTTAWA - A Quebec couple accused of luring three girls off Ottawa streets and forcing them into prostitution could soon face charges of human trafficking, a Criminal Code offence which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Laura Emerson, 28, and her boyfriend, Gordon John Kingsbury, 33, both of Gatineau, Que., appeared in court briefly Thursday for a scheduled bail hearing but the two were remanded until Tuesday because their lawyers said they needed more time to examine new evidence against the pair.

Emerson was charged with 13 offences, including kidnapping, forcible confinement and procuring and living off the avails of prostitution after the police gangs section discovered that three teenage girls had been held captive for up to a year in a condominium building in Gatineau, just across the Ottawa River from the nation's capital.

Kingsbury is charged with sexual assault and being unlawfully at large. Investigators said Wednesday that one 17-year-old girl they believed was an accomplice turned out to be a victim who had been held prisoner for a year. Two other 17-year-old girls are alleged to have been held for five to six months while they engaged in prostitution.Gatineau's Assistant Crown attorney Diane Legault said Thursday the two accused likely will face new charges, including human trafficking.

In November 2005, the Criminal Code was amended to make the "recruitment, transporting, transferring, receipt, holding, concealment or harbouring of a person, or the exercise of control, direction or influence over the movements of a person for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation" an indictable offence. Conviction carries a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment where it involves kidnapping, aggravated assault or aggravated sexual assault, or a maximum penalty of 14 years in all other cases.

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Sex Slaves: A Darker Side Of The Russian Economic Boom

Kosher Meats Firm Cited for Child Labor Violations

From Yahoo:

DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa labor officials said Tuesday that they had uncovered dozens of child labor violations at the nation's biggest supplier of kosher meat.

Officials from the state's Labor Commissioner's Office said their investigation, which spanned several months, uncovered 57 cases of child labor law violations at the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, where nearly 400 workers were arrested this spring in the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history.

The types of violations included minors working in prohibited occupations, exceeding allowable hours for youth to work, failure to obtain work permits, exposure to hazardous chemicals and working with prohibited tools.

"The investigation brings to light egregious violations of virtually every aspect of Iowa's child labor laws," Dave Neil, Iowa Labor Commissioner, said in a statement. "It is my recommendation that the attorney general's office prosecute these violations to the fullest extent of the law."

Juda Engelmayer, an Agriprocessors spokesman, declined to comment.

Federal immigration agents arrested 389 illegal-immigrant workers, mostly Guatemalans, in a May 12 raid at the Agriprocessors plant. Most of the arrested workers pleaded guilty within a week and are serving sentences in federal prisons outside Iowa before being deported. Allegations of child labor violations were included in an initial affidavit and a search warrant that led to the raid at Agriprocessors, which also operates a plant near Gordon, Neb.

Kerry Koonce, a spokeswoman for Iowa Workforce Development, the agency that oversees the labor commission, said Iowa's child labor investigation into Agriprocessors began before the federal immigration raid and was independent of the raid.

Under Iowa law, it is illegal for children under the age of 18 to work in meatpacking plants. Koonce said the number of violations is much larger than what is typically found in the state of Iowa.

"Typically, when we have child labor issues it's an issue of one or two individuals," she said. "From our point of view, with this investigation, it's a large-scale violation of the law."

Koonce said the full report was not being made public because it is a part of a criminal investigation but she confirmed that 57 children were involved.

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New Study Released on Human Trafficking in Burma

From Mizzima.com:

August 5, 2008

Economic hardship and poverty have caused several young women in Burma, particularly in regions where ethnic minorities are residing, to be an easy prey of human trafficking, an ethnic Kachin women group said in a new report.

The Thailand based Kachin Women's Association of Thailand (KWAT) in a new report release today reveal that several young women from northern Burma's Kachin state are being sold by traffickers to Chinese men, who forcibly marry them or use them as maids and slaves.

The report titled 'Eastward Bound', which is based on interviews with 163 human trafficking victims from 2004 to 2007, said nearly 37 per cent of the trafficked women ended up as wives of Chinese men, while about 4 percent are sold as housemaids or to the sex industry.

Julia, who did the research on the report said, about 64 percent of the women trafficked are missing while about 17 percent are found to have made their way home back after escaping from the traffickers.

She said, most of the women trafficked are below the age of 18 and are made vulnerable to traffickers due to difficult economic conditions at home to keep them and their families alive.

Julia said several of the girls are sold while they are working to earn a living for themselves or for their families, or while seeking for jobs, due to severe economic conditions at home.

While several girls are smuggle from Burma to China by the traffickers, many of the girls left their hometown voluntarily and migrate in search of better jobs and better living, the report said.

Shirley Seng, spokeswoman of KWAT said, the main causes of human trafficking are economic hardship and deterioration, fear of human rights violations committed by the military junta and forced relocation.

She also added that rising commodity prices has also become a major driving force to young women to migrate.

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