Sex Trafficking of Foreign Women to United States Military Camp Towns in South Korea, by Dr Sallie Yea (Senior Research Fellow, International Development Program, RMIT University)
Foreign women, primarily Russians and Filipinos, have been sex trafficked into South Korea en masse since 1998. It is
estimated that there are at least 5000 and and possibly as many as 15,000 victims trafficked into Korea each year. Once
in South Korea the women are deployed in one of two major destinations: Korean prostitution districts and United States
military camp towns. This report provides a comprehensive exploration of Russian and Filipino women trafficked to US
military camp towns through in-depth research carried out over an 18-months period with more than 80 women in 6 camp
town areas in Korea. It discusses issues of recruitment of women, migration, living conditions in South Korea,
experiences within the clubs wher they are deployed, and issues of abuse, gendered violence and sexual, labour and
financial exploitation. It also discusses some relatively neglected issues in much trafficking research including
customer demand and what happens to women once the leave trafficking situations. Finally the report critically discusses
the United States and Korean government's respective responses to this problem and makes several recommendations for
anti-trafficking efforts in future.
The report is available from Project Respect at a cost of $40 (inc. GST). Please download the order form and email it to vallim@projectrespect.org.au if you would like a copy.
One Victim of Trafficking is Too Many: Counting the Human Cost of Trafficking
Project Respect spent six weeks researching and documenting these cases in February and March 2004. This report documents the 300 cases of victims of trafficking uncovered during this research, and outlines, in spreadsheet format, the situations of people trafficked to Australia for labour and sexual servitude. The report was influential in the US government's decision to include Australia in the 2004 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.
The report is available from Project Respect at a cost of $33 (inc. GST). Please download the order form and email it to vallim@projectrespect.org.au if you would like a copy.
Sex slaves and legal loopholes: Exploring the legal framework and federal responses to the trafficking of Thai 'contract girls' for sexual exploitation to Melbourne, Australia, 2001
Between 1999 and 2000, Melbourne man Gary Glazner was charged with offences related to trafficking in women for prostitution. Marnie Ford researched this trial, and has written a comprehensive assessment of this, the first trafficking-related prosecution in Australia.
The research includes recommendations for addressing trafficking for prostitution.
Sex Slaves and Legal Loopholes (PDF)
Paying for Servitude: Trafficking in Women for Prostitution
Project Respect Director Kathleen Maltzahn's invited lecture for the Women's Electoral Lobby, Annual Pamela Denoon Lecture 2004, presented at Australian National University, Canberra, 4 March 2004
In this speech, Kathleen discusses the extent of trafficking, legal and political responses, and outlines how trafficking made it onto the national agenda in the last few years.
Paying for servitude: trafficking in women for prostitution (PDF)
Conference 2003 Stop the Traffic II
Nicola Roxon, ALP Member for Gellibrand
The vital role a Federal Government must play to stop this international trade, presented by Christine Black (PDF)
Ken Wolfe, City of Yarra
Local government's role in
policing the legal and illegal sex industry (PDF)
Kate Harriden
No bad women, just bad
laws (PDF)
Conference 2002 Stop the Traffic
Sally Moyle, Director, Sex Discrimination Unit, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Trafficking in Women
Criminal Code Act 1995: Section 270
The 1999 amendment
Justice Legislation (Sexual Offences and Bail) Act 2004 - Victoria
Australia's Draft Criminal Code Amendment (Trafficking in Persons Offences) Bill 2004
Victoria's Prostitution Control Act
On September 26, 2001, Ms. Puongtong Simaplee died whilst detained at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. Before her death, Ms. Simaplee alleged that she had been trafficked to Australia for prostitution as a twelve year old. Project Respect was granted legal standing at the coronial inquiry, and conducted a campaign which secured extensive, in-depth and ongoing media coverage for both the coronial inquiry and the broader issues of trafficking in women for prostitution. You can access our Media Kit here.
Senate/Parliament Submissions
Draft Exposure Bill, Criminal Code Amendment (Trafficking in Persons), 2004
In October, the Federal Attorney-General's department asked for comments on a draft amendment to the criminal code regarding trafficking in women for sexual servitude. The amendment is laudable as it is a step towards Australia ratifying the United Nations Protocol on Trafficking. Project Respect's submission is available to download.
Parliamentary Joint Committee to examine Australian Crime Commission's response to trafficking in women for sexual servitude. September 2003.
The inquiry was held in response to large media coverage of trafficking in women for prostitution, in particular allegations that government agencies were mishandling the cases of trafficked women. A significant issues examined was the deportation of women who were found to be victims of trafficking, in response to their breaches of migration law. The Committee's finding made a number of important recommendations, including that victim impact statements be used in trials for traffickers, that Australia ratify the UN Protocol on Trafficking, and that the visa system for trafficked women be revisited.
Website
Project Respect's submission
The UN has defined people trafficking in the UN Protocol to Prevent,
Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children
(called the Palermo Protocol) as follows:
The key elements of trafficking are the movement of a person; that this movement is brokered by another person through abduction, deception or coercion; and that the movement is for the purpose of exploitation.
There are a number of commentaries available on the Palermo Protocol.
AUSTRALIAN ORGANISATIONS
Non-GovernmentAustralian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse
Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations
Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre
Immigrant Women's Speakout Association
National Women's Justice Coalition
Resourcing Health & Education in the Sex Industry (RhED)
Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault
Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition
WIRE: Women's Information, Referral and Exchange
Government Organisations
Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault
Australian Institute of Criminology
Australian Institute of Family Studies
Bursting the Bubble: for teenagers living with domestic violence
Department of Victorian Communities
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Victorian Office of Women's Policy
ASIAN ORGANISATIONS
Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking (ARCPPT)
ARCPPT is an AusAID-funded project in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, which aims to strengthen the law enforcement response to trafficking and to enhance regional counter-trafficking cooperation.
Development and Education Programme
for Daughters and Communities Centre
A Thai-based organisation offering education and full-time accommodation for
children to prevent them from being trafficked into the sex industry or other
exploitative child-labour situations.
HumanTrafficking.org
A web resource to combat human trafficking. Excellent links to governments, NGOs and publications in the East Asia and Pacific region.
Mekong Region Law Centre
Aa non-profit association of the legal communities of Cambodia, Laos P.D.R., Thailand, and Vietnam established to promote judicial cooperation, legal education and the rule of law in the region.
Village Focus International
A US and Laos-based organisation which aims to help poor and marginalised communities in South East Asia including an anti-trafficking project.
Third World Movement Against
The Exploitation of Women (TW-MAE-W)
Philippines organisation that combats the exploitation of women.
United Nations Inter-Agency Project to Combat Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region
EUROPEAN ORGANISATIONS
Anti-Slavery
International
A British based human rights organisation. Published books available for purchase,
however plenty of free articles provided.
Association of Albanian Girls
and Women
Albanian organisation that aims to help victims of sex trafficking reintegrate
into Albanian society.
Child and Woman Abuse Studies
Unit
Feminist site featuring research and policy studies on prostitution and trafficking.
Conducted government funded research into trafficking in women into the UK.
Kalayaan A London based organisation advocating rights of overseas based domestic workers. Information provided is dated (1998)
Poppy Project
Research into trafficking and prostitution, and exit programs and support for
women in the sex industry, especially trafficked women.
Q-web
Women's empowerment organisation based in Sweden. They conduct projects - one
being trafficking.
The Angel Coalition
A consortium of 43 Russian and CIS NGO's dedicated to the abolition of sexual trafficking.
THE AMERICAS ORGANISATIONS
Captive Daughters
Los Angeles based organisation which is dedicated to ending the sex trafficking of children. Includes links to US Government Reports and other organisations.
Bilateral Safety Corridor
Coalition
A coalition of US and Mexican NGOs that are dedicated to combating slavery and
human trafficking.
Free the Slaves
US organisation aimed at combating slavery. Good links to resources provided.
Feminist Majority Foundation
An organisation working for women's equality. Provides many links to articles
on sex trafficking and slavery.
Libertad Latina
An organisation dedicated to the ending the sexual oppression of Latina & Indigenous
women and children in the Americas. Excellent index of sexual slavery in Latin
America.
Protection Project
A legal human rights research institute based at the Johns Hopkins University
in Washington, D.C. Focus on US and international laws, and the implications
of trafficking on US foreign policy.
Prostitution
Research and Education (PRE)
A San Francisco-based organisation that develops research and educational programs
to document the experiences of people in prostitution.
The Sage Project Inc
A San Francisco-based organisation that provides information about and resources
for victims of trafficking, sexual exploitation and violence, and individuals
involved in the sex trade and those thinking of or having left prostitution.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
Apne Aap Women Worldwide
An organisation based in Asia that is dedicated to ending sex trafficking.
Combating Trafficking in Persons: A Directory of Organisations (PDF)
Coalition Against
Trafficking of Women (CATW)
Has a Category II Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social
Council. Library section provides free articles, reports and speeches.
ECPAT International
ECPAT is a network of organisations and individuals working together to eliminate
the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Has online database and up-to-date
international media articles.
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
International Movement
Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)
A Japan-based organisation devoted to eliminating all forms of discrimination
around the world. Currently undertaking a campaign against trafficking in women
and children.
International Organisation of Migration (IOM)
Polaris
Project
An organisation based in the US and Japan that fights sex trafficking and slavery.
Stop Demand
A New Zealand-based organisation which aims to promote a world free of all forms of sexual violence against, and sexual exploitation of, children with a focus on sexual trafficking. Links to worldwide media articles provided.
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - Global Programme Against Trafficking in Human Beings
Vital Voices
International organisation based in Washington D.C, USA which focuses on training women with leadership skills in developing countries. They conduct a program to combat trafficking of women and children.
V-Day
The organisation is based in Canada and is a global movement to end violence
against women and girls.
AFRICA
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
AMERICAS
Asia
Pacific
Europe