Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09HANOI698
2009-07-28 08:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:
Vietnam's Police Discuss TIP and Child Sex Crimes
how-toVZCZCXRO7941 RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHHI #0698 2090851 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 280851Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9952 INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 6029 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7395 RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS HANOI 000698
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, DRL, EAP/MLS, and EAP/RSP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP KCRM PHUM PREL ELAB VM
SUBJECT: Vietnam's Police Discuss TIP and Child Sex Crimes
UNCLAS HANOI 000698
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, DRL, EAP/MLS, and EAP/RSP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP KCRM PHUM PREL ELAB VM
SUBJECT: Vietnam's Police Discuss TIP and Child Sex Crimes
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On July 23, the Deputy Director of the Criminal
Police Department in the Ministry of Public Security (MPS),Colonel
Ho Sy Tien, discussed trends in human trafficking, including labor
exploitation of men and the manipulation of tourist visas and
fraudulent marriages for cross-border prostitution. Tien also
highlighted current measures to protect children from sexual
exploitation, as well as the difficulties faced by MPS in the
investigation and prosecution of child sex crimes. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) On July 23, Poloff met with Colonel Ho Sy Tien, Deputy
Director General of MPS's Criminal Police Department, to review new
developments in trafficking in persons (TIP). Tien characterized
trafficking in men for labor exploitation as a new trend in Vietnam.
The most frequent scenario, he said, involved men who are offered
"good jobs" overseas -- usually to China -- only to be forced into
hard labor. He cited one example where several men from Hai Phong
who were forced to work at a Chinese brick factory. Through
cooperation with Chinese authorities, MPS was able to rescue the men
and return them to Vietnam.
3. (SBU) Turning to the issue of female victims, Tien indicated
that women from rural areas were often misled by fraudulent labor
opportunities and then sold to brothels on the border of Cambodia
and China, with some eventually sent to third countries. Other
women, Tien said, were also trafficked abroad for prostitution under
the premise of false foreign marriages. Tien said that cross-border
prostitution may also occur under the guise of tourism, with women
traveling overseas on, say, a 30-day tourist visa, where they work
in a brothel and then return to Vietnam. These women may or may not
be aware of the type of work they are being sent to do, Tien
emphasized, which puts them at risk for trafficking.
4. (SBU) On the subject of child sex tourism, Tien stated that
despite economic growth and a tremendous upsurge in Vietnam's
tourist industry, there had only been three cases since 2005 that
merited investigation. Tien posited that unlike in Cambodia,
foreign tourists rarely come to Vietnam to sexually exploit
children, though he speculated that some might engage prostitutes
who are between 16 to 18 years of age (legally adults under
Vietnamese law). He also suggested that children sold into
fraudulent foreign adoptions were sometimes trafficked into the
child sex trade.
5. (SBU) In July, MPS initiated a two-month campaign to focus on
combating the trafficking of women and children in the border
regions. Tien said that the General Department of Police would work
closely with the Border Army and other agencies to rescue and
repatriate trafficking victims. Highlighting his department's other
efforts to protect children, Tien noted that Vietnam had cooperated
with Australia to provide training to more than 100 Vietnamese
officers on investigative techniques targeting child sex tourism.
In previous years, MPS had worked with UNICEF to provide training
materials to officers in Hanoi and HCMC as well as to set up
"friendly interview centers" in HCMC, Hai Phong, Dong Thap, and Lao
Cai to question children and suspects in child sexual exploitation
cases.
6. (SBU) Tien explained that under Vietnamese law, it was
important, but sometimes difficult, to establish firmly the ages of
the victims of child sex crimes. Sexual abuse of children under 13
can result in capital punishment, Tien explained, while prison
sentences of up to 15 years are handed down for the sexual abuse of
children between 13 and 16. The lack of accurate birth records,
particularly for children in rural areas, was a complicating factor
in proving child sexual exploitation cases, he said. Other
challenges stem from the fact that children often find it too
difficult to report their abuse to the authorities or to their
families, making it hard to find, catch, and prosecute perpetrators.
Tien acknowledged that MPS was still new to combating child sex
crime, and requested U.S. and international assistance to train
Vietnamese officers and obtain updated equipment.
MICHALAK
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR G/TIP, DRL, EAP/MLS, and EAP/RSP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP KCRM PHUM PREL ELAB VM
SUBJECT: Vietnam's Police Discuss TIP and Child Sex Crimes
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On July 23, the Deputy Director of the Criminal
Police Department in the Ministry of Public Security (MPS),Colonel
Ho Sy Tien, discussed trends in human trafficking, including labor
exploitation of men and the manipulation of tourist visas and
fraudulent marriages for cross-border prostitution. Tien also
highlighted current measures to protect children from sexual
exploitation, as well as the difficulties faced by MPS in the
investigation and prosecution of child sex crimes. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) On July 23, Poloff met with Colonel Ho Sy Tien, Deputy
Director General of MPS's Criminal Police Department, to review new
developments in trafficking in persons (TIP). Tien characterized
trafficking in men for labor exploitation as a new trend in Vietnam.
The most frequent scenario, he said, involved men who are offered
"good jobs" overseas -- usually to China -- only to be forced into
hard labor. He cited one example where several men from Hai Phong
who were forced to work at a Chinese brick factory. Through
cooperation with Chinese authorities, MPS was able to rescue the men
and return them to Vietnam.
3. (SBU) Turning to the issue of female victims, Tien indicated
that women from rural areas were often misled by fraudulent labor
opportunities and then sold to brothels on the border of Cambodia
and China, with some eventually sent to third countries. Other
women, Tien said, were also trafficked abroad for prostitution under
the premise of false foreign marriages. Tien said that cross-border
prostitution may also occur under the guise of tourism, with women
traveling overseas on, say, a 30-day tourist visa, where they work
in a brothel and then return to Vietnam. These women may or may not
be aware of the type of work they are being sent to do, Tien
emphasized, which puts them at risk for trafficking.
4. (SBU) On the subject of child sex tourism, Tien stated that
despite economic growth and a tremendous upsurge in Vietnam's
tourist industry, there had only been three cases since 2005 that
merited investigation. Tien posited that unlike in Cambodia,
foreign tourists rarely come to Vietnam to sexually exploit
children, though he speculated that some might engage prostitutes
who are between 16 to 18 years of age (legally adults under
Vietnamese law). He also suggested that children sold into
fraudulent foreign adoptions were sometimes trafficked into the
child sex trade.
5. (SBU) In July, MPS initiated a two-month campaign to focus on
combating the trafficking of women and children in the border
regions. Tien said that the General Department of Police would work
closely with the Border Army and other agencies to rescue and
repatriate trafficking victims. Highlighting his department's other
efforts to protect children, Tien noted that Vietnam had cooperated
with Australia to provide training to more than 100 Vietnamese
officers on investigative techniques targeting child sex tourism.
In previous years, MPS had worked with UNICEF to provide training
materials to officers in Hanoi and HCMC as well as to set up
"friendly interview centers" in HCMC, Hai Phong, Dong Thap, and Lao
Cai to question children and suspects in child sexual exploitation
cases.
6. (SBU) Tien explained that under Vietnamese law, it was
important, but sometimes difficult, to establish firmly the ages of
the victims of child sex crimes. Sexual abuse of children under 13
can result in capital punishment, Tien explained, while prison
sentences of up to 15 years are handed down for the sexual abuse of
children between 13 and 16. The lack of accurate birth records,
particularly for children in rural areas, was a complicating factor
in proving child sexual exploitation cases, he said. Other
challenges stem from the fact that children often find it too
difficult to report their abuse to the authorities or to their
families, making it hard to find, catch, and prosecute perpetrators.
Tien acknowledged that MPS was still new to combating child sex
crime, and requested U.S. and international assistance to train
Vietnamese officers and obtain updated equipment.
MICHALAK