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Monday, October 7, 2013

Modern Slavery News Round-Up

92 Children and 2 Female in China were Rescued from Human Trafficking
Chinese policy uncovered a human trafficking case on September 27 2013. There were 92 children and 2 female victims were rescued. From Xinhua News Agency, the police officers from 31 provinces arrested 301 suspects. The suspects stole children from Yunnan and Sichuanprovinces, and sold them to richer places. From an international news agency, human trafficking children is a serious issue in China; because of the strict one child policy as well as the tradition of preferring boys than girls, human trafficking children cases increase in recent years. Chinese government plans to formulate relevant regulations to punish the buyers and sellers selling their children.

POEA Chief Gives 13 Tips to Detect Human Trafficking
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration head Hans Leo Cacda gives 13 tips to define a human trafficking victim: 1. Does the person appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship? 2. Has a child stopped attending school? 3. Has the person had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior? 4. Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts? 5. Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse? 6. Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing? 7. Is the person fearful, timid, or submissive? 8. Does the person show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care? 9. Is the person often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers, Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation? 10. Does the person appear to be coached on what to say? 11. Is the person living in unsuitable conditions? 12. Does the person lack personal possessions and appear not to have a stable living situation? 13. Does the person have freedom of movement? Can the person freely leave where they live? Are there unreasonable security measures?

Virginia Governor holds Summit on Human Trafficking
Human trafficking, or modern-day sex slavery, is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the U.S., in the world and in our area, and many of its victims are children. It's something that happens right in front of us but in the shadows. And that's a major part of the problem. Bob McDonnell, Virginia Gov., held the first statewide governor's summit on human trafficking and created an anti-human trafficking panel to combat this growing but insidious problem. The summit was held in Richmond on Thursday and Friday.

Sex Trafficking Victims Gather, Share Stories at Capitol Mall
Their stories are heart wrenching. Tonight they gathered at the Capitol Mall to share their stories and reasons for fighting against human sex trafficking. “My daughter was missing for eight pain-staking days.” Five years ago, Vicki Zito’s heart was broken when her 17-year old daughter, Kaci Klinner, got snatched from a grocery store and swept into human sex trade. “Within five hours, her trafficker had posted pictures of her for sale on Craigslist and in 12 hours was trafficking her from the bay area,” Zito said. Kaci was eventually rescued. Leah Albright-Byrd, a then-runaway, says she too was a victim of human trafficking. “Traffickers in our community preyed on our vulnerabilities and exploited me. I ended up on the street for about four years and then got out at 18,” Albright-Byrd said. Ever since tragedy hit in these women’s lives, both say they have been on the front lines fighting what they call “evil”. “I then became a mom on a mission to do something to end trafficking because I thought it’s not good enough that my daughter is home safely. I want for everyone’s daughter to be home safely,” said Zito. “To see this level of community amongst a bunch of different service providers is significant. We’re a united front against sex trafficking. Not one organization alone can do the work,” said Albright-Byrd.

League of Women Voters Luncheon to Include Talk on Human Trafficking
The League of Women Voters Oakland Area is hosting its annual fall luncheon, 12 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, at the First Baptist Church of Birmingham, 300 Willits Street. The guest speaker is Oakland County Sheriff’s Lt. Wendy Reyes, who will present the following topic: “Human Trafficking: Is it in your neighborhood?” Reyes serves on the Michigan Human Trafficking Force. Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery. The luncheon and speaking engagement are open to the public. To attend both the luncheon and speaker is $25. To hear the speaker only is $7.

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