VietNamNet Bridge – Hundreds of women and children in several districts of Nghe An Province are victims of human trafficking, but authorities seem ill-equipped to deal with the situation.

Binh cries looking at family photo

Traffickers can earn hundreds of millions of VND for each transaction. Ha Van Thai, head of police in Huu Kiem Commune, said, "We are aware of around 40 cases in which women have been sold, most of them adolescents from poor families. They are usually lured by promises of jobs in foreign countries. Some are sold off as wives or surrogate mothers."

Binh and her husband are poor with two sons and two daughters. In 2010, Ngoc, one of the daughters was sold to someone in China by Binh's sister-in-law. Upon discovering the news, Binh crossed the border and tried to find the money to buy her daughter back. But before she could find the money, Ngoc had already been resold to another person.

When Binh returned to Vietnam, she was shocked to find out that her other daughter had become another victim of human trafficking and sold into China. Both girls eventually escaped, and are selling clothes in Guangzhou to earn money for their return to Vietnam. Colonel Nguyen Viet Hoa, head of the Department of Criminal Police in Nghe An, said they would investigate the case and propose rescue mission to the Ministry of Public Security.

In Xop Thang Village, Lo Thi Van said her 16-year-old daughter was sold to a buyer in China, and stayed there for two years after she was promised a high-salary job. Van only found out that her daughter had been tricked two years later.

Trafficking rings are highly active in communes along National Highway 7A, especially Chieu Luu Commune, where many families try to escape poverty by crossing borders.

The head of police force in Chieu Luu said by August 2013, 208 women were suspected to have been sold to buyers in China, and by January the number had increased to 230. "Many families won't report these cases because they've already used the money they were given."

One of the most recent busts of a human trafficking ring involved Luong Thi Nhung, a Vietnamese woman who married and lived in China. She returned to Vietnam after realising that there was a lot of money to be made by selling women and children. She collaborated with local people in Ky Son and Con Cuong districts to trick young women. From September 2010 to May 2012, she was involved in the trafficking of 16 girls and 5 children.

Last year, Nhung was convicted and sentenced to 21 years in prison. The people of Don Phuc Commune were shocked to realise that Nhung had persuaded locals to cooperate in her scheme.

Two children live with grandparents after mother was sold overseas

In the last two years, 315 women from Ky Son District have been sold into bondage, most of them of the Kho Mu and Thai minority groups. Several cases were discovered by chance by the police. Many of the families with children taken do not know or remain in denial, preferring to believe that their daughters are working abroad and sending money home.

With other families, the denial is more sinister. When their children are returned, some families send them off again, even after being told they were living in bondage. Phan Van Tuan, spokesperson for Ky Son District People's Committee said, "Awareness on this issue remains weak among locals here."

Colonel Nguyen Van De, head of police in Ky Son District said, "We've rescued 17 out of 35 such reported cases. Last July, we arrested 13 offenders. There are still many missing people though. Some of them have been tricked but some voluntarily go with traffickers. It's difficult to investigate these cases because the victims are scattered and we have to deal with the laws of other countries. We can only arrest the traffickers if we catch them in the act."

Source: DTriNews/LD