VIETNAM SENTENCES FIVE FOR TRAFFICKING WOMEN TO MALAYSIA

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000014

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND G/TIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP PREL PGOV VM
SUBJECT: VIETNAM SENTENCES FIVE FOR TRAFFICKING WOMEN TO MALAYSIA

REF: HCMC 1063 and previous


1. (SBU) Summary: The recent decision by a court in the Mekong
Delta city of Can Tho to hand down stiff sentences ranging from
5 to 17 years to five individuals convicted of trafficking women
to Malaysia demonstrates continuing dedication among law
enforcement and the courts in the south to combating human
trafficking. End summary.


2. (SBU) On December 30, 2008, local press and media reported
that five human traffickers were convicted for trafficking women
to Malaysia and forcing them to work as prostitutes. Trial
reports indicated that the trafficking ring sent approximately
18 women from the southern Mekong Delta region to Malaysia from
2005 until January 2008, when the ring leaders were arrested.


3. (SBU) Hua Thi Thuy Trang, 35 - identified in media reports as
a former prostitute-turned-trafficker who had worked in
Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore - was sentenced to 17 years,
while her four accomplices received 5 to 12 year sentences. One
of the accomplices mentioned by name, Thai Nham Ty, formerly
Vice Director of Tai Loc Construction Company in An Giang
Province, was arrested for procuring fake passports for the
trafficked women (for which he was paid approximately USD
200-$250 per passport) and introducing the candidates to the
ringleader for selection. The gang lured the women to Malaysia
with promises of waitressing jobs and USD 800 cash payments to
their families in exchange for promissory notes that the women
would agree to pay the traffickers USD 4,400 dollars each. Once
in Malaysia, the women reported that they were closely guarded
and forced to have sex with about seven men per day each without
compensation, and that those who resisted were beaten and
starved.


4. (SBU) Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Kiem of HCMC's anti-TIP
police (Unit PC-14) said that the trial was another great
example of the Vietnamese government's strong determination to
address TIP issues. LtC. Kiem said his office is currently
working on an investigation involving another trafficking ring
uncovered in early December which allegedly sold over 100 women
to brothels in Malaysia. This ring involved many suspects from
Tay Ninh province and other Mekong Delta areas. Between 2005
and 2007, Vietnamese police have uncovered 900 trafficking cases
involving 2,200 victims, according to state media reports. Due
to the lack of resources and reliable provincial statistics, the
true extent of the trafficking is unknown, but police suspect
many of the more than 20,000 Vietnamese women and children who
have gone missing since 1975 could be victims of trafficking.


5. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Hanoi.

FAIRFAX