Monday, October 1, 2007

Trafficking of men appears in border provinces




Phan Diu PhuVietNamNet Bridge - Trafficking of men has appeared in some northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam when some young boys are sold to China to work at brick kilns.

Phan Diu Phu, an ethnic minority boy in Thanh Binh commune, Muong Khuong district, Lao Cai province has recently returned home after escaping from a brick kiln in China.

Phu was still scared when he told reporters of the national Vietnam Television (VTV) about his terrible days in China.

Two months ago, a woman came to Phu’s hamlet to recruit workers to work in China with a monthly income of VND3.6 million ($220). Eight young boys, including Phu went with the woman to China but only Phu and another boy named Phan Van Lin could escape from the brick kiln.

“We didn’t know that we were sold till we arrived at the brick kiln. If we didn’t work, we would be beaten by the brick kiln owners,” he said.

May, the mother of one of the eight unlocked boy, only knew that her son was sold to work at a brick kiln in China when Phu and Lin returned home.

“I have just found out that my son is sold. I will try to earn money to redeem my son, working at brick kiln is very hard,” the mother said.

Phu and Lin said that there are many Vietnamese young boys working at the brick kilns and it is very difficult for them to escape because they are watched very carefully.

Trafficking of women is popular but trafficking of men is still very strange to both the people and state agencies. Young boys like Diu and Phu want to denounce the woman who sold them to China but the Vietnamese laws don’t have regulations on this crime yet.

(Source: VTV)