Human Trafficking

The primary focal point of my research project is human trafficking in SE Asia, why it happens and what we can do to help prevent it. Throughout the world men, women and children are being trafficked into a form of modern day slavery. Mainly women and small children are being forced to perform physical labor including prostitution in several countries. Many women forced into this cruel industry are coming from Asian countries such as Japan, China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and the Philippines. The majority of these women and children are sold into slavery to pay off certain other debts, or they leave their homes in hopes of labor. Unknowingly, they are getting involved in a cruel and sadistic world of forced sex. Many organized gangs including the Japanese Yakuza and the Chinese Triad are involved in human trafficking. It occurs in almost every country on this planet; however, it is mostly successful in environments with a tourism industry or a military presence. I have spent some time in Korea as well as Germany and I noticed a huge amount of women from Asian countries who were being forced to sell their bodies to U. S. Army personnel as well as civilians from those countries. Although, it is illegal, most people just turn a blind eye towards it and allow it to continue, primarily because of the amount of money it brings in to the economy. It is a US$ 5 billion to US$ 9 billion dollar annually industry according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Due to the fact that this industry makes so much money off of it, it is hard to do much about it. There are organizations such as the UN, the Polaris Project, and the US Department of State just to name a few. Unfortunately, it continues to rear its ugly head in our civilization. Everyone can do their part to help fight and prevent human trafficking. Human beings were not created to be sold into modern day slavery. I amassed these resources in order to help others do research and possibly make a difference in this ongoing epidemic.