THREE TRAFFICKED OUT OF EVERY 1,000 PEOPLE ACROSS ASIA PACIFIC, SAYS REPORT

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 (Bernama) -- An estimated three people were trafficked
for every 1,000 inhabitants across the Asia-Pacific region, a report by World
Vision said.

It said in a statement Friday that globally for every person forced into the
sex trade, nine were forced to work.

The report stated that trafficking for labour exploitation was generally not
considered as severe a crime as trafficking for sexual exploitation, and there
was a high level of impunity for offenders.

"Victims of labour trafficking are often not identified as such, and instead
are detained and deported from the country where the exploitation took place.

"As a result, the majority of trafficked persons do not have access to
assistance or justice, and the traffickers remain free to exploit others," it
said.

The report also comes with a list of recommendations on how to fight
trafficking, including urging the private sector to take responsibility for all
labour within their supply chain with ongoing monitoring for compliance, banning
the confiscation of workers' official documents by employers, having government
target high-migration areas with vocational and skills training and safe
migration information.

The report also urged consumers to learn more about where the products they
use or eat come from and contribute to the fight against labour trafficking.

"Trafficking is always associated with the sex trade. But it is now clear
that the sale of people into slavery in the fishing, food processing, domestic
work and other industries is the most common form of trafficking and needs far
more public attention if it is to be stopped," it said.

World Vision has been working to combat trafficking in the East-Asia region
since the late 1990s.