Marriage with foreigners increased

Potential risk of trafficking in women and children

In order to lessen the “marriage with foreigners” wave in Mekong Delta, The Central Women’s Union collaborated with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to carry out the sixteen-month project of prevention and anti trafficking in women and children (from April 2005 to July 2006) in Hau Giang, Can Tho and Tay Ninh provinces.
According to Ms. Huynh Thuy Trinh – Vice President of Women’s Union of Hau Giang province- the province had 970 women get married with foreigners in 2004, but only in the first quarter of 2005, the upsurge of number up to 459 cases. Four communes of the province are the “hot spots”, especially Vinh Trung commune in Vi Thuy district, the number has reached 202 cases. The Can Tho Women’s Union ‘s statistics revealed that 200 women get married with foreigners in 1995, and one year after then, the number has increased fivefold (1000 persons/year) and in the last eight years, the average number was between 2000 and 3000 women get married with foreigners per year, most of grooms are Taiwanese men. Until the end of December 2004, in Tay Ninh province, there have been 10.486 women married with foreigners of which the rate of Taiwanese men made up around 80 per cent.
Mrs. Huynh Thi Sau Hoa, president of Tay Ninh Women’s Union, said: “Recently, many women have married with Korean men! The marriage happened very quickly so that it is difficult to know how many cases are real marriages, how many cases are false, how many couples get a happy life and how many brides would be fell into the hell”.
In Hau Giang province, 68 brides had been pushed into brothels, some of them fled back their home, and some infected AIDS and pitifully died in foreign land.
 A large “antibiotic” dose is needed
Despite the warnings of authorities and massive organisations about “risks of marriage with foreigners” in the last recent years, many women still eager to marry with foreigners through inter-mediators. To Mrs. Thuy, main solution for lessening this situation is raising awareness in women to help them realize themselves about real happiness, thus they will be more careful in marriage. One of the things needed to do is combination of  “training the anti women trafficking propagandists who will deeply disseminate to every family, school and community” and “adequate punishment to pimps, traffickers, sexual abusers”. One of activities needs to pay more attention is to educate the returned victims, help them reintegrate into community, disease treatment, get credit for income generating, vocational training and create jobs for their stable livings.
(Source: HCMC Women’s Union Newspaper dated on May 3rd, 2005)

A high-level call-girl ring discovered:

Putting in temporary detention “pimp” Tran Thi Pho 

In May 5th, the Office of investigation police on social order of the Police Department of HCM city has carried out the decisions on introduction of instance the internee and putting in temporary in detention to pimp Tran Thi Pho who is baron of high-level call-girl (models, movie stars) ring for organizing and intermediating of prostitution. Previously, on 28 April 2005, the police had caught in act of prostitution seven high-level prostitutes (most of them were actresses) in Hoang Ha hotel in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City.
Through exploitation of information, the police defined the heads of the prostitution ring was Tran Thi Pho, originating from Hue City, resides in Ward 1, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Pho admitted her guilty that from 1992 she had get in touch with models and movie-stars who wanted to “get more incomes” to set up the call- girl ring including some ten members. Familiar clients are the rich from HCMC, Ha Noi, neighbour provinces and overseas Vietnamese.  It costs between 100 and 500 US dollars for each time of sexual trading and Pho get 20% as a pimp. When clients demanded, Pho arranged prostitutes to come waiting in the Hoang Ha hotel by phone. Receptionist Dong Van Nam, Pho’s accomplice, was caught also for prostitution intermediation crime.
(Source: HCMC Women’s Union newspaper dated on 6 May 2005)

Nearly 94,000 HIV cases reported in VN

HA NOI (09-05-2005)— The Ministry of Health calculated that the country had approximately 94,000 people with HIV/AIDS as of April 16.
The ministry also reported that nearly 9,000 patients had already died from the disease, and 15,000 out of the living 94,000 already had full-blown AIDS.
From March 17 to April 16, a study reported 953 new cases of HIV, 156 new cases of full-blown AIDS, 127 AIDS-related deaths. During the previous month, 419 cases of HIV, 51 cases of AIDS, and 10 deaths were reported.
These figures indicate that the epidemic is still sharply increasing in the country.
In addition, the number of reported cases is thought to be significantly lower than the actual number of infected people, meaning the epidemic will be easily spread.
To curb the spread of the disease, the ministry has submitted a new State ordinance on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention to the Government in order to update the version approved by the National Assembly in 1995. — VNS

Cutting a across-border women trafficking ring to China

The Police of Dong Da district in Ha Noi has just seized a group of four traffickers. They confessed that, in only one month, they had lured seven victims who were students and credulous girls coming from countryside to sell them to China for sexual exploitation. Nguyen Thi Dan (other name Huong), originating from Bac Giang province, get married with her husband who is a Chinese, was caught as a pimp. The case is in the investigation process for further information.
(Source: HCMC Newspaper dated on May 12th, 2005)

Rescue an across-border trafficked girl

On May 16th, 2005, the Police of Lao Cai Province caught Pham Thi Men, (born in 1978, resides in Xuan Giao commune, Bao Thang district of Lao Cai province) by crime of children trafficking. Tham lured to sell Vu Thi Kim Anh (lived in same hamlet with Men) to China in November 2004. The Police of Lao Cai province collaborated with their counterparts in Van Nam province, China, to get victim back her home safety.
(Source: HCMC Police Newspaper dated May 19th, 2005)

Police arrest human trafficking ring near Chinese border

HA NOI (19-05-2005)— Police have arrested a group of men for duping women and selling them into prostitution to agents near the Chinese border in the north.
About 40 women reportedly fell prey to Le Quoc Dung, 28, of Thanh Hoa Province and his accomplices. They were from various cities and provinces across Viet Nam, according to the police.
The trafficking network was caught thanks to co-operation between the Vietnamese police and their Chinese counterparts, according to Cao Ngoc Oanh, deputy director of the General Department of Police.
He also said the Chinese police returned 12 victims to police in the border province of Cao Bang, adding they were all assisted with rehabilitation.
Investigations were continuing, he said.
In a meeting to review the issue, Oanh said many women lacked vigilance and as a result fell prey to traffickers.
He exhorted families of victims to unfailingly complain to the police or other local agencies. — VNS

VIETNAM DETECTS LARGEST-EVER WOMAN TRAFFICKING RING

Vietnamese police have unearthed the largest-ever woman trafficking ring, which was believed to have lured 40 women to prostitution dens in China in the first months of this year.
The ring, led by Le Quoc Dzung, born in 1978, in central Thanh Hoa province, committed 21 cases with seven cases in Dzung's native province. They enticed the women including small girls to brothels in China with the same trick as job brokers, according to the report released from the Ministry of Police on May 17.
The raid into the criminal ring was successful with a high cooperation between the local communist police and Chinese counterparts, which helped rescue 12 victims including two girls under 16 years old and brought them home, said major-general Cao Ngoc Oanh, vice head of the police department.
General Oanh also called for denouncement from families with missing girls and more efforts and vigilance from localities to reduce the number of victims, which has reportedly increased in the past years.
Police also revealed that the expanded investigations into the case led to the discovery of some other women trafficking rings, rescuing 60 victims, and arresting 27.
Further investigations are still being made, police revealed.
Between 2001 and 2002, police nationwide detected thousands of similar cases, bringing to court 3,200 defendants. According to official statistics, a dozen of thousand Vietnamese girls have been bought for prostitution in foreign countries.
However, it is expected that real figures could be double the official statistics.
Vietnam targets reducing half of the victims by 2010.

(Capital Security May 18 p9, Young People May 18 p3)

Efforts in fighting human trafficking 

Ha Noi, May 18 (VNA) - Vietnamese and Chinese police have uncovered a cross-border women trafficking ring, headed by Le Quoc Dung from central Thanh Hoa province.

Dung, born in 1978, and his accomplices - Hoang Xuan Trang, Nguyen Viet Anh, Nguyen Van Hoang, Ngo Viet Hoang, and Lo Van May - had enticed 40 women and young girls into crossing the border, and had sold them to brothels.

The Chinese police have returned 12 victims, including 2 girls under 16, to the police of Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces. The local police and authorities have helped the returnees to stabilise their lives into the community. The case is still under investigation.

Trafficking in women and children is on the rise. In particular, the selling of women to Taiwan in the form of "marriage" and of children to other countries in the form of "adopted children" is now causing social concern.

Lao Dong & Xa Hoi (Labour and Society) newspaper said that according to incomplete statistics, tens of thousands of Vietnamese women and children have been trafficked across the northern and southwestern borders annually.   

The paper quoted the Borderguard Command's report as saying that 127 women trafficking cases involving 210 offenders were uncovered from 1999 to December 2004. Thousands of victims have been helped to return home. In fact, the paper said, the real number of returnees is higher than reported. An estimated 10,000 victims returned to the country from 1999 to April 2005.

In December 2004, the Vietnamese Government approved and implemented a "National programme on combating women and children trafficking in the 2004-2010 period". The country has also carried out bilateral cooperation with Thailand, China and other countries in the framework of the regional cooperation mechanism.

The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Borderguard Command will sponsor a project on "Receiving and supporting trafficked women and children who return home" with a view to helping them gain access to legal, medical, educational and social services, and get jobs. According to the five-year project, 90 percent of the returnees will be helped to re-integrate into the community by 2010.

Another project on preventing and fighting women and children trafficking, which is aimed at raising public awareness about women and children trafficking, and strengthening the economic capacity of localities, will be implemented with funding from the Asian Fund and support from the Viet Nam Women's Union and the Centre for Supporting Education.-Enditem

Seven years in jail for women trafficking criminal

On May 19th, the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City has sentenced To Kim Cuong (born in 1978, originating from Bac Lieu province) to seven years in prison for “women trafficking crime ”, fined 10 million dongs and forced to repay five million dongs from illicit earnings.
After being sold to China, Cuong came back her homeland in 2002. Realized some women wish to go working or marry husband abroad, Cuong took 3 women to China and handed them over a woman named Hong to take 5 millions dongs. After then, the two of three victims were pushed into a brothel in China; another was sold to a Chinese man as a wife. Three victims sent complaint letters to the police about Cuong’s behaviour after they escaped and came back Viet Nam in June 2005.
(Source: Labours newspaper dated on May 20th 2005)

Through the work of razing brothels in Ha Dong town (Ha Tay province)

Fighting against prostitution, will it be in vain?

According to anti-social evil official of Police Office in Ha Dong town, 30 turns of working-in-street prostitutes have been seized from the beginning of the year 2005 in the territory of Van Mo Ward. These defendants confirmed that they have worked as prostitutes when clients demanded and they did not hesitate to confess their names, native-lands and situation that pushed them into prostitution. It is too complicated to struggle against the violators because it is not difficult to keep them for their wrong behaviours but for how to deal with them in order to get effects in prevention of prostitution. Lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Van Thuan- Deputy Chief of Police Office of the town, said: “In fact, prostitutes have been arrested only 24 hours for investigation. In the case of administrative punishment, the ineffective solution was forced to choose because defendants have nothing for fine. This originated from reality that Ha Tay has only few centres; its capacity is so small that there’s not enough room for all of arrested prostitutes”.
As the case of Quynh Anh hotel, the pimp Do Thi Xiem had no the least of worrying for her guilty. She told distinctly about prostitution. It is possible to say that prostitution not only happens officially but the defendants also use all of cunnings for gaining a lot of money. Through this case, we are worrying about two things: Firstly, prostitution activity is so busy that Nguyen Van Thanh, a motorbike driver cum a pimp, had a list of almost all prostitutes’ phone number and the hotline between him and procurer worked 24/24h but there ‘s no any reaction from people or organisation until it was discovered by the police. Second problem is permission papers given to sensible business services by the functional organisations. The owners of disguised brothels submitted perfect documents when police launched a raid. Why violations still happen whilst periodical supervisions take place?  In only 2km of 6 national route of Yen Nghia commune exist 24 guest- houses, karaoke bars and coffee shops working all the time despite fighting against prostitution get good achievement every year. This reality shows that fighting against prostitution must be closely connected to management of business and services activities such as: restaurants, karaoke, motorbike etc… especially permission given to these sensible businesses. While the measures for dealing with this issue are not enough, it is necessary to have stronger punishment for defendants to stop them from violations. Struggle against prostitution and create jobs for defendants must be often associated to get effective results.
(Source People’s Public Security Newspaper dated on May 19th 2005)

HCMC: A prostitution ring served for foreigners cracked

On May 23, the Police of HCMC cracked a prostitution ring to serve for foreigners and caught 12 concerned persons. By the suddenly check a hotel in Nguyen Thai Binh Street, district 1; the police caught in act of prostitution of three foreigners with 3 prostitutes. This ring has started its activities since 2004.
The foreigners paid a fine and prostitutes were sent to the vocational training centre.
(Source: Labourer Newspaper dated on May 24th, 2005)

Eliminating prostitution den in a restaurant

Based on information provided from local people, the Police suddenly checked the restaurant Nhat Thanh located in Cu Lao Street, Ward 2, Phu Nhuan District and seized 3 couples in act of prostitution. Five defendants including hotel owner, pimps and guardians were put in detention camp for prosecution. Three prostitutes were sent to rehabilitation centre.
(Source: HCMC Public Security Newspaper dated on May 26th 2005)

A depraved entertainment collapsed

On May 24th 2005, the police checked the karaoke lounge at 108 Bui Thi Xuan Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCM City to discover a depraved entertainment in which numerous of waitresses/ dancers without clothes serving clients.
According to permission paper, this shop is only in restaurant business (no alcohol) and selling domestic tobacco products. Despite of being checked and withdrew permission paper many times, the owner closes her eyes to conduct illegal business for getting great benefits.
The functional organisations have suspended business activities and dealing with law violators.
(Source: HCMC Public Security Newspaper dated on May 26th 2005)

Ha Noi: Prostitution rings served for foreigners cracked

The Police of Ha Noi City launched a raid and caught in act of prostitution three couples at Bao Son hotel, 7 couples at Thuy Quynh hotel, most of clients were foreigners. After exploiting information from persons involved in prostitution, the police suddenly checked karaoke Cheers in Heritage hotel where is considered as a den to provide prostitutes to this ring.
Cheers entertainment managed by a foreigner and the “pimp” Nguyen Thi Thu Huong (born in 1974) arranged prostitutes. According to the initial investigation, karaoke Cheers often keeps about 50-70 waitresses, and increases 100 persons at the “high time”.
Most of clients were foreigners, mainly Asian, price for each time of sexual trading costs between 70 $US to 200 $US exclusive of room fee and the pimp get 10% of the amount.
Until May 28th, the police temporarily kept 66 concerned persons for further investigation of which 46 were waitresses and prostitutes.
(Source Youth Newspaper dated on May 29th 2005)

Dak Lak province:

Investigation of trafficking ring

The police of Buon Ma Thuot town have just transmitted the documents to the provincial police for further investigation on trafficking ring led by Pham Van Trung, resided in Bok hamlet, Ea Pok town, Cu M’gar district (Dak Lak Province) who lured and sold to women and children to China.
According to the initial information, after a long time of running away, Trung was seized on April 30th 2005 while cheating Nguyen Thi Quyen Dy (born 1981). Previously, Trung and Tran Thi Yen, resided in Buon Ma Thuot, had gone to Binh Dinh province to lure and sell to China two girls. On December 10th 2003, the police kept Yen but Trung escaped with the false name Hoan. Then, Trung collaborated with Vu Anh Duc, resided at Cu K’po commune, Krong Buk district, Dak Lak province (was kept on November 3rd, 2003), to realize some other human trades. According to victims’ accusation, Trung and Duc raped them before selling them to the China with the price between 2,5 to 3 million per person.

(Source: Labourer Newspaper – Nguoi Lao Dong -dated on 31st May 2005)

Eliminated two brothels

The police of District 10 in HCMC checked two disguised brothels in Le Hong Phong and Ba Thang Hai Streets and caught in act of prostitution of 5 couples. The police of district were handling these cases. 

(Source: HCMC Police Newspaper dated on June 6th 2005)