May 4, 2013

Communist Vietnam -- Human Trafficker Extraordinaire

By Michael Benge
Vietnam is now the proud possessor of the inglorious title "The Worst Human Rights Violator in Southeast Asia," according to recent testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. State-affiliated labor export companies are major suppliers of men, women, and children to the forced labor and sex trafficking markets, while government officials profit from kickbacks. Statistics on Vietnam's human trafficking range widely; though accurate information about this communist country is hard to find. Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security offers an official figure of 2,935 Vietnamese who were subjected to human trafficking between 2004 and 2009. However, international organizations report a far larger number; more than 400,000 victims since 1990. Even this covers only those reported as victims, omitting untold tens of thousands of abuses that go unnoticed, especially in the labor force. Exporting workers is nothing new for Vietnam. After the 1975 communist takeover, hundreds of...(Read Full Article)