GUIZHOU HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRENDS MIRROR THOSE OF YUNNAN,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000293 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND G/TIP JUSTICE FOR OPDATE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV SNAR KTIP KWMN CH SUBJECT: GUIZHOU HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRENDS MIRROR THOSE OF YUNNAN, LESS SEVERE TO SOME EXTENT REF: A) CHENGDU 165; B) BEIJING 3214 CHENGDU 00000293 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified information - not for distribution on the Internet. ¶2. (SBU) Summary: Human trafficking patterns in Guizhou are very similar to neighboring Yunnan province, and are dominated by forced marriages and illegal adoptions, Guizhou Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials told Consul General. Guizhou is both a source for women/children for other provinces in China, and a transit point or final destination for trafficked women from other countries and other Chinese provinces, especially Yunnan. Among children, boys are trafficked most often due to cultural preferences for sons, however trafficking of young girls is on the rise. To combat the problem, the Guizhou Anti-TIP Office has carried out a series of campaigns, most recently in April 2009, which have helped to improve the situation. Like Yunnan, no nexus exists between human traffickers and drug dealers; however, heroin use is a serious problem in Guizhou, as its HIV from shared needles. Local gang activity is only small and disorganized, PSB officials claim. End Summary. ¶3. (SBU) Guizhou TIP cases have been on the decline in recent years, PSB Deputy Director Zhao Xiang told CG recently in Guiyang, Guizhou's capital. Zhao currently heads the anti-TIP office of the Guizhou PSB -- an office established in the 1970s to combat the then growing problem. Guizhou is considered an origin point ("guaichudi") for women/children who are trafficked to other provinces throughout China. Guizhou is also a transit point for trafficking victims, due in large part to its western border with Yunnan province and proximity to Southeast Asia. Since 2005, Guizhou PSB officials have begun to see cases of victims being trafficked to Guizhou as their final destination point. Like Yunnan Province, Guizhou tends to see its residents trafficked to other Chinese provinces, instead of overseas destinations (ref A). (Note: TIP definitions are somewhat different in China compared to Palermo Protocol standards, with neither forced labor nor trafficking of men considered human trafficking. A child is defined as a minor under the age of 14, not 18. In addition, illegal adoptions are counted towards China's human trafficking statistics, unlike international standards. Ref A and B. End Note.) Forced Marriages, Illegal Adoptions, and Forced Prostitution -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Like Yunnan, trafficking of Guizhou residents is driven by two primary purposes: forced marriages and illegal adoptions. Often women are lured to an area by the incentive of job opportunities. These women are then forced to marry, imprisoned within their new homes, and then forced to become pregnant. After giving birth, many women decide to stay with their husbands to raise their children. Zhao commented that at times women become comfortable in the homes to which they are trafficked, in which case the PSB lets the victim decide whether or not to return to their original homes. In a smaller percentage of cases, women are trafficked and forced into prostitution. So far, the Guizhou PSB has yet to discover a case of a Guizhou resident being trafficked abroad. ¶5. (SBU) Among children, boys remain the primary target for trafficking for two main reasons. One is the traditional Chinese belief that boys continue the family line ("chuanzongjiedai"),the other that boys can be used for farm labor. Typically, boys trafficked in Guizhou are from rural areas or are the children of migrant laborers working in urban areas. ¶6. (SBU) Recently, the Guizhou PSB has found instances of young girls being trafficked to other provinces for illegal adoptions. Zhao declined to provide an explanation for this new phenomenon. (Comment: A Guizhou Foreign Affairs official later commented that given the explosion in housing prices, parents have become increasingly worried about the costs of raising a CHENGDU 00000293 002.2 OF 002 son. In traditional Chinese culture, the groom's parents were expected to purchase a house for the new couple. While this tradition has weakened considerably, sons are increasingly perceived as a financial burden, leading more parents to prefer daughters. End Comment.) Guizhou Government Initiatives to Combat Trafficking -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) In May 2008, the Guizhou government issued its "Implementation Plan for China National Action Plan on Combating Trafficking in Women and Children." Under this plan, and consistent with the central government's 2009 reforms, annual promotion assessments for local government and PSB officials now take into account anti-TIP achievements. Perhaps in part due to this new plan, Guizhou has begun to crack down on government officials' complicity in trafficking. For example, a Social Security official was recently convicted for involvement in trafficking activity (ref B). ¶8. (SBU) The Guizhou PSB has also started building a TIP database, including DNA records, to coordinate with PSB offices throughout China, Zhao said. He expressed hope that better record-keeping throughout China would help to combat the highly prevalent inter-province trafficking problem. The Guizhou PSB has also stepped up its cooperation with other provinces; a recent combined operation with the PSB in Mianyang, Sichuan rescued 16 deaf and dumb women. ¶9. (SBU) The GPSB launched an anti-trafficking campaign in April ¶2009. Thus far, 44 trafficked children and 46 trafficked women have been rescued in Guizhou. In addition, 107 trafficking-related cases have been handled, 18 trafficking gangs punished, and 179 trafficking criminals arrested. Traffickers and heads of trafficking gangs face severe penalties up to and including the death penalty. During the recent campaign, 14 women and children were rescued in Guiyang. In Bijie, Guizhou Province, seven trafficked women with mental illness and another six children were rescued. Upon their rescue, victims are usually returned to their homes. Like Yunnan, no shelter has been set up for victims; however, Zhao stated it is being considered. Human Trafficking Gangs Unrelated to Drug Problems -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Guizhou has a significant drug problem, particularly among younger, unemployed people, Zhao said. Particularly problematic are heroin and opium, which are typically imported from the Golden Triangle via Yunnan. In the 1980s, drug use was most prevalent among rural populations; however, urban drug use has recently been on the rise. According to a 2006 NIH study, injectable drug use remains the most common practice, leading to higher HIV prevalence in Guizhou than most other Chinese provinces. As in Yunnan, Zhao commented that there are no links between drug gangs and human trafficking gangs in Guiyang (ref A). ¶11. (SBU) Zhao went on to say that gang activity in Guizhou is small and disorganized, not at all resembling an organized, criminal underground ("heishe"). He commented that the Guizhou PSB cracks down on criminal activity before it can become organized. (Comment: Officials are reluctant to comment on organized criminal activity; however, we suspect it is at least an emerging problem in Guizhou. End Comment.) BROWN