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| Two suspects involved in an Indonesian human trafficking ring to Myanmar at the police criminal investigation unit in Jakarta on May 16. (Photo: Joanito De Saojoao) |
According to ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn, the bloc is not sitting still but needs to take stronger measures to prevent the above situation.
In 2015, ASEAN leaders signed a legally binding convention against trafficking in persons, especially women and children. The bloc’s recent summit in Labuan Bajo ended with a leaders’ declaration on combating human trafficking, especially issues related to the misuse of technology.
Mr. Kao Kim Hourn assessed that the above documents show that ASEAN leaders are deeply concerned about human trafficking.
Stressing the need for ASEAN to address human trafficking as part of transnational crime, the ASEAN Secretary-General affirmed the need to take a regional perspective to address the issue more collectively and effectively.
The joint statement in Labuan Bajo stated that ASEAN needs to take concrete actions, identify and address gaps in the system as well as improve the legal framework related to human trafficking crimes.
“It is important for law enforcement to have the right legal framework in place… In the future, they will work together in sharing information… as well as best practices and knowledge on how to actually address this issue across ASEAN,” said Kao Kim Hourn.
Indonesia, which holds the ASEAN Chair in 2023, has proposed several initiatives to combat human trafficking in the region.
Southeast Asia’s most populous nation is also seeing many of its citizens trafficked to other countries in the region, such as Myanmar. Perpetrators lure victims with offers of high-paying jobs and then force them to work as online scammers.
Indonesian police recently arrested two suspects, Andri Satria Nugraha and Anita Setia Dewi, in connection with a human trafficking ring that trafficked 20 Indonesians to Myanmar. The two lured 16 victims, and police are now hunting for human trafficking networks that may be involved in the case.
Police are working with anti-money laundering agency PPATK to monitor financial transactions in the hope of tracing illegal activities; a task force has been set up to combat the problem.
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