Illegal labor

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday pledged his nation’s support in tackling human trafficking as he confirmed the seizure of a boat carrying alleged slaves from Myanmar and Cambodia. Mr O’Neill said the eight people were rescued from the fishing boat Blissful Reefer. Keep reading ...

Authorities in Papua New Guinea have rescued eight fishermen held on board a Thai-owned refrigerated cargo ship, and dozens of other boats are still being sought in response to an Associated Press report that included satellite photos and locations of slave vessels at sea. Two Myanmar ...

Cambodian human trafficking authorities have charged a Chinese national with attempting to illegally transport 18 men to work in China in what one government official said was the first such case of trafficking Cambodian men to the country. Anti-human trafficking police, who are part of the ...

Thailand has hit back after being blacklisted in a US report for the second consecutive year for not combatting modern-day slavery, arguing it has made serious steps to tackle human trafficking. The ministry of foreign affairs said the US state department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report, “does not ...

With the Obama administration pushing to conclude a vast Asian trade pact, the State Department on 27 July upgraded its assessment of Malaysia’s efforts to combat human trafficking, a move that could ease the country’s inclusion in the trade deal. Though the human trafficking report from the State ...

African footballers as young as 14 are being trafficked to Asia and forced to sign contracts, the BBC has learnt. Six minors are still with top Laos side Champasak United, after it imported 23 under-age players from West Africa to an unregistered football academy in February, ...

Local officials have been promising for several years to send illegal foreign workers back home but so far this hasn’t happened. Director General of Labour Management Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Phongsaysack Inthalath spoke to Vientiane Times at a meeting in Vientiane ...

Hundreds of fishermen were rescued from slavery on Thai fishing boats off the coast of Indonesia earlier this year. Trafficked and sold to work on the boats, the men – mostly from Myanmar and Cambodia – had endured beatings, abuse and torture. After they were freed, ...

Thai and international agencies have convened a meeting to discuss ways to bolster efforts against human trafficking along the border.    The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the non-governmental organisation Alliance Anti-Trafic met to discuss ...

Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled Rakhine since the start of the year, joining perilous journeys on the boats of human traffickers through the Bay of Bengal. But local officials say no one has been arrested for trafficking in the Myanmar state that supplies the ...