Vietnam Steps up Fight against Human Trafficking.
Vietnam Communist Youth Unions Secretariat dispatched letters to its affiliate offices across the country Thursday, urging them to mobilize people against human trafficking, especially on women and children.
The central agency suggested that provincial youth union offices actively coordinate with local women's societies in providing information on human traffic laws to educate them of the dangers.
The youth unions secretariat also proposed that local agencies regularly hold seminars with young men and women to exchange observations and experiences related to the social problem as well as to discuss ways to prevent human trafficking, including measures to combat poverty and unemployment, which together with lack of education, legal knowledge and legal assistance are the main factors leading to human trafficking on women and children.
The central youth union recommends that localities to maintain club activities oriented towards youth law and legal assistance.
In Vietnam, human trafficking is sometimes disguised under form of arranged marriages that frequently result in women becoming domestic slaves rather than wives.
Other victims find themselves in the sex trade instead of the factory job they were promised.
In another development, the Vietnamese Government requested registration of marriages between Vietnamese and foreigners be rejected if any sign of illegal brokerage is detected during applicant interviews. Government Decree No. 69/2006/ND-CP, released July 21, clearly states that certificates shall not be granted to "forged" marriages, undertaken illegally to enable human trafficking or sexual abuse.
Under the decree, within 20 days of the date of the receipt of marriage registration dossiers and fees, the Judicial Department of a city or province must conduct a person-to-person interview with both applicants.
The interview is designed to check whether the two applicants agree to the marriage of their own accord and how much they can communicate.
The decree also gives instructions on procedures for international marriage registration at foreign embassies in Vietnam or other agencies for foreign affairs, as well as for applying to adopt Vietnamese children.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
