Women lured with student visas forced into sex slavery
Date: 30 March 2015
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
Asian women are being snared in a student visa scam that funnels them into Sydney brothels where they are forced to sell sex and drugs for up to 20 hours a day. Dozens of women from Hong Kong and Thailand are being met by brothel managers who lodge study visa applications on their behalf.
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India: Modi government to set up national body to combat human trafficking
Date: 30 March 2015
Source: India Times
Home Ministry officials said that the new body will not only take up the investigations of high-profile cases, but will also work out a mechanism to enhance the relief and rehabilitation efforts of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
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Human traffickers may face life sentence under Britain’s tough new slavery bill
Date: 27 March 2015
Source: The Guardian
Human traffickers may face life imprisonment under a British law passed designed to crack down on modern-day slavery, one of a raft of measures designed to lead the way in combating the $150bn-a-year industry.
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Thai leadership warns media against reporting on human trafficking
Date: 26 March 2015
Source: Undercurrent News
Thailand’s military junta has asked the media not to report on human trafficking without considering how the news will affect the country’s seafood industry and reputation abroad, reports Khaosod English.
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UAE human trafficking law tightened
Date: 25 March 2015
Source: The National UAE
The UAE’s human trafficking law has been amended so that intent to commit an offence is now the same as committing the crime itself. Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the 2006 law to combat human trafficking has been altered to become more detailed and comprehensive. It now ensures that a person aware of a human trafficking crime and who does not report it can be punished, as well as offering more support for victims and protection for witnesses.
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Ending the $150 billion human trafficking industry
Date: 24 March 2015
Source: CNN
CNN International Executive Vice President Tony Maddox reaffirms CNN’s commitment in the fight against modern day slavery. Video also highlights some statistics, examples of human trafficking and progress made.
Most doctors couldn’t spot a human-trafficking victim if they saw one. Could you?
Date: 19 March 2015
Source: Yahoo! News
Less than 10 percent of doctors recognize trafficking victims, and less than 3 percent of ER doctors have received training in recognition and action. Read more about what we can do about it.
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UK tied visa system ‘turning domestic workers into modern-day slaves’
Date: 17 March 2015
Source: The Guardian
The UK government has “recreated kafala” with its introduction of tied visas for foreign domestic workers some of whom have faced abusive labour practices imported from the Middle East, according to a university study.
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Hong Kong maid dies five days after being crushed by falling concrete slab
Date: 16 March 2015
Source: SCMP
An Indonesian domestic worker has died, days after she was crushed by a 60kg slab of concrete while sleeping on the balcony of a guesthouse run by her employment agency.
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Modern slavery: Everywhere in supply chains
Date: 14 March 2015
Source: The Economist
A concise take on modern slavery, including measures being taken to address the issue globally.
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Event: Q Commons
Date: 9 March 2015
Time: 7:30 to 9:00 pm
Place: Community Church, 35 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan
Price: $224 HKD
Q Commons empowers learning and collaboration in our community. Join the event and listen to talks by Malcolm Gladwell, Soledad O’Brien, Mark Burnett and local speakers Patricia Ho, Jaeson Ma and Douglas Glen on how to advance good in Hong Kong.
Click here for more information.
Event: Choose to see ... women in need
Date: 2 March 2015
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm
Place: Shore, 3/F, the L. place, 139 Queen’s Road, Central
Hosted by Liberty Asia, the event will highlight and garner support for an invisible segment of women in today’s society — women in slavery situations — who leave seen and unseen traces in our everyday lives.