In Southeast Asia, rising population and technological advances mean that unfortunately human traffickers have a growing target base online and are making greater use of technology. Nevertheless, creatively employing online tools provides an opportunity to counter cross-border trafficking.

WITH THE current debate over domestic anti-human trafficking measures in Singapore, innovative responses from elsewhere can offer constructive policy options and inform dialogue at the regional level.

The ASEAN region has a population of over 600 million and growing, Internet users have doubled and the numbers accessing information and communications technologies (ICT) are expected to increase. United Nations reports note that ICT and increasing use of the Internet create new opportunities for offenders and facilitate crime. For instance, online social media allows for new ways to facilitate people trafficking, distribution of child abuse material, and new avenues for recruiting victims.

… Alistair D. B. Cook & Caitríona H. Heinl are Research Fellows with the Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies and Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.