By Katie Chalk, Regional Communications, Special Projects

The sordid and sensational topic of child sex trafficking remains one of the most discussed in the Asia-Pacific region, but many more forms of human trafficking fail to attract attention or action, according to a new review by international aid agency World Vision.

The review, “10 Things You Need to Know About Trafficking”, calls for greater recognition and criminalisation of all trafficking activities, many of which are tolerated by communities, overlooked by authorities and even sanctioned by families.

It combines external research with case studies to paint a broad picture of rights abuse and child exploitation across many industries in Asia’s notorious trafficking hotspot, the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

While trafficking into the sex industry is still a priority issue, the review includes testimonies from boys and men who have been trafficked onto farms or fishing boats, children trafficked into begging or vending on city streets, young girls forced into domestic labour and babies forcibly removed from mothers to sell into adoption.

According to Abid Gulzar, manager of World Vision’s anti-trafficking advocacy project in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, legislation and cross border cooperation are still missing the mark when it comes to protecting victims of trafficking.

“This is partly because of the emphasis on trafficking into the sex industry,” says Gulzar. “We will continue to work to reduce the vulnerabilities of girls and women to sex trafficking in the region. But we believe the time has come to learn more, and act more, on all forms of trafficking.”

Of particular concern is the offshore fishing industry, where escaped workers report imprisonment for months at a time, being chained at night and severe beatings for any disobedience or attempts to escape. Research into the abuses of this industry is still patchy, says Gulzar, and in many cases coast guards lack the authority to intervene.

“Trafficking is modern-day slavery,” said Gulzar, “and any form of imprisonment, denial of wages, forced labour or deliberate isolation should be recognised by law as a trafficking crime.”

The Greater Mekong Subregion includes Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Traditionally an area where people move seasonally in search of work, the region’s trafficking challenges have been exacerbated in recent years by Thailand’s relative wealth and the difficulties and expenses in all countries associated with legal migration.

World Vision’s strategies to reduce trafficking in the region revolve around reducing vulnerabilities, influencing governments and assisting trafficking survivors, with particular emphasis on child protection, safe migration and improved policy.