Proposals to fight back against human traffickers and meet the obligations of a 2004 agreement between six Asian countries have been submitted for approval by the Chinese government it was announced Wednesday.   

 

At a meeting in Beijing of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT), Wan Yan, a member of the group's China office said, "We've submitted the action plan and are awaiting approval. If approved the plan will help clarify the responsibilities of all the relevant ministries in combating the trafficking."

 

The governments of China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam adopted a comprehensive and strategic Sub-regional Plan of Action to combat such trafficking in 2004 with member states each devising their own national plan of action.

 

"Many thousands of people have been rescued and safely returned home in the past five years," said Susu Thatun, the program manager of the United Nations (UN) Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

 

Susu said in late 1990s many countries opened their borders to encourage economic development but this also made the trafficking easier.

 

The six members belong to the Greater Mekong Sub-region which is one of the world's most rampant human trafficking areas. The UN estimates tens of thousands of women and children from the region are abducted and sold each year.  

 

"No government could singly solve the transnational trafficking problems except to cooperate on agreed issues and multi-ministerial collaboration is the only way to fight against this crime," Wan Yan said.

 

Many Asian governments were attempting to stop the trafficking but weren't doing enough and required to speed up taking action in the future, Susu said. Commenting on China's role in the battle Susu observed, "China can become a true leader in combating human trafficking given its economic power and international influence."

 

Since 2005 the Chinese government has carried out the principles of COMMIT including convening high level meetings to discuss the framework and components for a national plan of action against the traffickers, strengthening communication, cooperation and information sharing and launching a campaign against cross-border trafficking with neighboring countries.

 

The UN definition of human trafficking refers to the transportation of persons for sexual exploitation, forced labor or other illicit activities.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2006)