The number of Southeast Asian women being sent to China illegally, with the false promise of finding work or a rich husband who can help them escape poverty, is on the increase.
As AsiaNews reported, referring to an article published by the China Daily newspaper, girls are actually pushed into prostitution or sold to men who pressure them into forced marriages.
Many of these girls come from poor rural areas of Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos and fall victim to international rackets of criminal groups. The girls are sold as wives to villagers or forced into prostitution in the provinces of Guangdong and Yunman. Each girl can be sold at between 20.000 and 50.000 Yuan (between 3.100 and 7.800 U.S. dollars), depending on their nationality and looks.
Many Southeast Asian women – AsiaNews pointed out – are transported to the Northern province of Hebei and then sent on to Beijing. Public security sources say 206 women who had fallen victim to human trafficking have been freed since 2009.
This kind of trade is also encouraged by certain choices made by the Chinese government. China has endorsed the “one child policy” for years now, causing the elimination of female foetuses and the killing of newborn baby girls. AsiaNews reported that the shameless massacre of human lives has created a serious gender imbalance in China, to the point where more and more men are going to North Korea to find wives or “buy” women who form part of the international criminal racket.
According to China Daily, China has signed an anti-human trafficking cooperation agreement with Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and has established an annual meeting of high officials, to fight against international trafficking. Beijing has also set up eight offices on its borders with neighbouring countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos, to counter illegal trafficking.