Thai authorities detain Lao women who illegally entered the country as sex workers

Thai authorities have detained 43 Lao women, some of whom appear underage, for illegally entering the country to work in the sex trade just two days after the Lao parliament passed an anti-human trafficking law to ensure protection for victims and punishments for perpetrators.

Passed on 18 December, the Law on Preventing Human Trafficking, stipulates prison sentences of 15 to 20 years and fines of 100 million-500 million kip (U.S. $12,300-$61,300) for those found guilty of human trafficking in the region, according to a legislature officer in the National Assembly.

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