Human Trafficking: Accepting a Necessary Evil?

States and societies in Asia face significant challenges in addressing root causes of poverty. Low socio-economic living conditions enhance the susceptibility of vulnerable sections of society to human trafficking. The situation for individuals is worsened when governing authorities are weak or unwilling to address these deficiencies. Whilst in Asia, enforcement authorities have made progress in reflecting the understanding that those subjected to trafficking experience incapacitated autonomy to make decisions, negative societal perceptions largely inhibit reintegration of victims into societies.

The tendency of human trafficking syndicates to thrive on the extreme vulnerabilities of individuals was recently indicated, in connection to the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan due to the floods this July. Human trafficking was alerted as a parallel crisis, especially in Sindh province. The province has been a hub for human trafficking and the floods have increased the vulnerabilities of those susceptible, mainly women and children. Within Southeast Asia, the Rohingya people, were recently reported subjected to trafficking at the hands of collaborating border officials and trafficking syndicates. The Rohingya are originally from Myanmar, and also experienced a natural disaster, Cyclone Nargis in 2008. The Rohingya are easier targets for trafficking syndicates due to their ‘statelessness’.

Effectiveness of anti-human trafficking measures is compromised by several factors including;

Data collection is challenging, due to the ‘underground’ nature of the trade. In ASEAN, efforts are being taken to address this. The United States’ Department of State report on Trafficking in Persons 2010, assesses trends from rates of prosecutions, convictions and victims identified in countries where such data is available. Below are figures on Asia;

Source: United States’ Department of State

Wide publicity and intervention by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has allowed prosecutions against Rohingya persons to be reconsidered in relation to their political status. However, Sindh females caught in sex trafficking rings are prone to being criminalised for prostitution based on Islamic ‘hudood’ laws on fornication and adultery, without screening for evidence of trafficking.

The region in general is moving away from criminalizing victims. ASEAN mechanisms and Pakistani authorities have both acknowledged the detrimental effects of policies based on criminalisation. They have incorporated specific provisions, underpinning anti-human trafficking laws, which emphasise the need to determine the background and needs of those apprehended in trafficked situations.

Whilst advances to address data deficiencies and criminalisation of victims to trafficking are encouraging, the stigma experienced by those trafficked within society remains. This hampers their ability to reintegrate into their host societies. For the Rohingya, they experience the additional bias of not belonging to the host country. Effectiveness of anti-human trafficking efforts depend on the prospects victims see within societies. Therefore, much of it depends on the ability of state authorities to adapt societal perceptions and raise acceptance amongst local communities through awareness raising and education initiatives, which may be led by community organizations.