Human-trafficking must be a priority for the Asean community, not just to please the US but for the good of its own people

Regional leaders inaugurated an Asean community at the end of 2015 to bring their 10 countries closer – not only for economic integration, but also on security and political issues as well as social and cultural affairs. One test for this dream of a community is whether the lives of ordinary citizens will improve, and one hard issue will be the ongoing tragedy of human-trafficking.

Last year, mass graves were discovered along the border of Thailand and Malaysia, containing the remains of over 200 people. The cases are still under investigation, but most fear the victims were from the Rakhine state in Myanmar and had been kidnapped or illegally trafficked before being abandoned and killed.

Beyond the headlines about the Rohingya, millions are trafficked across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to work in different industries – including the sex industry, fishing and on plantations. Accurate figures are debatable but, for the Asia-Pacific region, the International Labour Organisation estimates there are over 11.7 million victims of forced labour.

By the end of January, countries will submit statements about the steps taken to the US State Department annual Trafficking In Persons Report. This grades countries on a four-category list. To date, most Asean members occupy the middle ranks.