Young members of ethnic minority groups most at risk in Vietnam-China human trafficking trade: report
- The study by the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation found that groups such as the H’mong and Thai were vulnerable to being caught up in the illicit trade
- More than 60 per cent of victims and prosecuted traffickers were from these communities, and most of the latter had no prior criminal record
Of the 199 victims and 236 prosecuted traffickers covered by the report, more than 60 per cent are from minority groups including the H’mong, Thai, and Kho Mu. H’mong people accounted for almost a third of total victims and 33 per cent of total traffickers, despite making up around 1.4 per cent of Vietnam’s population. Kinh people – the majority ethnic group in the country, at 85 per cent of the population – accounted for 38 per cent of total victims and 33 per cent of total traffickers.
More than 60 per cent of the traffickers were between the ages of 19 and 35, while 10 of them were under 18. The youngest, a 13-year-old who trafficked her classmate, did not receive a sentence as she was a year under Vietnam’s age of criminal responsibility.
Men accounted for three fifths of traffickers, while all but one victim were women, with an average age of just over 19 years.
Almost half of the reported offenders had no prior criminal record. According to the report, more than 20 per cent had previously worked or lived in China, implying the importance of social networks in human trafficking. Despite the popular belief that many victims became traffickers themselves, less than 2 per cent of perpetrators fell into this category.
