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Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

 

Various researches and surveys that have been conducted by government agencies show that the child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children are on the rise. Changing economic trends have given many young women strong incentives to seek employment in urban areas, where living standards are higher than in their home villages. Girls are also sold into prostitution.

 

A child prostitution increases, so does the trafficking of children. While it is difficult to estimate the exact number of Vietnamese children being trafficked, certain trends can be identified. It is estimated that thousands of Vietnamese women and children are trafficked both within and outside the country's borders every year. Due to the secretive and illicit nature of the business, very little is known about the phenomena. Children are usually brought from poor rural areas to economically advanced areas in neighbouring countries, especially China and Cambodia. Upon arrival in the destination country, many children find themselves indebted to a trafficker of club owner, and promptly deprived of their identity papers. They are often denied earnings, their movement is restricted, and violence is used to control them. Even if these children are fortune enough to eventually escape their captors, they may have little prospect of returning to their home country due to lack of financial resources and travel documents, and due to fear of stigmatisation after their return. Many children are also abused and exploited as bonded labourers, domestic servants. or child brides.

 

Government efforts include a national plan of action to make sure that all children are registered. Legal protection of children from trafficking in the area of inter-country adoption has been strengthened with the issuance of the Government Decree No.68 in 2002. The new decree provides detailed regulations corresponding to those articles of the 2000 Law on Marriage and Family with a vies to tightening controls over foreign adoptions of Vietnamese children in an attempt to halt fraud and child trafficking as well as child marriage.

 

At the moment, the sexual abuse and exploitation of children continues to be a considerably under-reported offence. One reason for that is the lack of experience dealing with this issue. This is especially true for a country like Vietnam, though its Government has started to seriously look at the issue and have an explicit or coherent policy to combat it. As yet, the Government has introduced any programme to help victims prepare for their return and reintegration.