Lend a helping hand to trafficked victims

EXPERTS say that the region with the highest number of human trafficking victims in the world is Southeast Asia. More than half of the total number of trafficking victims globally is from this region, most of whom are girls and women aged between 18 and 24. Those who commit human trafficking are also predominantly women.

In Myanmar, factors such as ongoing domestic instability, limited job opportunities, a weak economic situation, and pov­erty are driving not only young women but also men of working age into becoming victims of human trafficking. At the same time, traffickers continue to engage in such activities as they are highly profitable. Therefore, it is necessary for everyone to work together to protect girls and women from falling victim. In addition, young men must also remain cautious, as there are groups that deceive them with false job offers, subject them to forced labour, and exploit their work for profit.

Human trafficking is de­fined, under the Anti-Traf­ficking in Persons Law, as the recruitment, transporta­tion, transfer, sale, purchase, hiring, borrowing, harbour­ing, or receipt of a person by another person, using any of the specified means, for exploitation, regardless of whether the victim has given consent.

Victims of human traf­ficking may be forced into prostitution or sexual ex­ploitation, compelled to perform work or services, subjected to conditions simi­lar to slavery, bound by debt bondage, forced into mar­riage, coerced into begging, or made to act as surrogate mothers. In this way, they are exploited by others. In the case of children, traffick­ers may deceive them for profit through illegal adop­tion, the removal of organs or body parts, their sale, or other forms of abuse and exploitation, resulting in in­humane gains by traffickers.

Some Myanmar women fall into the trap of human trafficking due to various reasons, including poverty, lack of awareness, financial difficulties, being coerced into giving birth after receiving a small payment, the desire to achieve a seemingly better life, or seeking a way out of temporary hardships. As is often seen, social media pages sometimes show stories of Myanmar women meeting and marrying foreigners.

Victims of human trafficking are often coerced into giving birth for exploitative purposes, and because traffickers operate very covertly, only experts in human trafficking can effectively uncover these crimes. The public is urged to collectively oppose and prevent inhumane acts of trafficking and to provide unwa­vering support and protection to human trafficking victims.