VZCZCXRO4505
RR RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHCN #0032/01 0320741
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 010741Z FEB 07
FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2371
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 2866

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL AND G/TIP: PATEL AND TAYLOR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  2/1/2027 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KTIP CH
SUBJECT: GUIZHOU LACKS RESOURCES TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
 
CHENGDU 00000032  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: James A. Boughner, Consul General, United States 
Consulate, Chengdu. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  A women's issues NGO-founder and researcher 
from the Guizhou Academy of Social Sciences recently told 
Congenoff that Guizhou Province -- one of China's poorest -- 
lacks both human and financial resources to fight trafficking in 
persons.  Guizhou faces a serious problem with trafficking 
primarily due to poverty.  Trafficking victims who return to 
their homes in Guizhou face discrimination and a lack of 
services.  The expert said there is also an increasing problem 
with children from both urban and rural areas being smuggled to 
eastern China and sold for "adoption."  Guizhou would be an 
ideal potential candidate for support from the G/TIP office, 
particularly for programs to raise awareness of employers and 
migrant workers about the dangers of trafficking.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) During a recent reporting trip to Guizhou Province, 
Congenoff met informally with Li Qing (strictly protect) of the 
Guizhou Academy of Social Science (GASS) and founder of the 
domestic non-governmental organization (NGO) Guizhou Women's 
Capacity Building and Development Association to discuss gender 
issues in the province.  (Note: almost all of Congenoff's 
requests for official meetings were denied by the Guizhou FAO. 
End note).  Li has previously studied trafficking in persons and 
prostitution.  In the coming year she has a research grant from 
the central government to study HIV/AIDS.  She also has funding 
from GASS to begin research on the phenomenon of "left behind" 
children of migrant workers. 
 
Guizhou Lacks Resources for Anti-TIP Work 
------------------------------------------ 
¶3.  (C) Li said Guizhou Province lacks both human and financial 
resources to fight trafficking in persons, which is a serious 
problem in Guizhou.  Li stated the Public Security Bureau (PSB) 
only has one officer devoted to trafficking for the whole 
province, and that one person could not possibly be effective in 
pursuing traffickers over such a large area.  (Note:  Li 
acknowledged she knew the PSB system well because her husband 
was a PSB officer.  End Note.)  When asked about the Guizhou 
Women's Federation's (WF) role in anti-trafficking efforts, Li 
admitted the WF currently had no staff devoted to working on the 
issue. 
 
Trafficking in Persons a Serious Problem in Guizhou 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶4.  (C) Li acknowledged Guizhou has a serious trafficking 
problem primarily due to poverty.  Guizhou is one of the poorest 
provinces in China with a per capita GDP of 4,893 RMB (USD 631), 
has a large minority population, and is known as a politically 
conservative province.  She added that disparities in economic 
development between Han and minority areas and urban and rural 
areas were also factors that made women vulnerable to 
trafficking.  Li said many women leave voluntarily to work in 
other cities or provinces, but become vulnerable to deception 
along the way and may be forced into prostitution or other 
bonded labor.  In an academic published in 2005, Li reported 
that in a 2001 case 95 women were deceived.  Ninety percent of 
the victims were unmarried, they ranged in age from 14-34 and 
were largely illiterate. 
 
¶5.  (C) Li also noted a demographic shift.  In the past, most 
cases of trafficking of women occurred in rural areas, but now, 
the crime is gradually extending to urban areas.  Traffickers 
are forming well-organized gangs, Li said, and their methods are 
becoming more sophisticated.  Many traffickers are now using the 
Internet and cross-country networks to move their victims. 
 
Discrimination Obstacle for Returned Victims 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶6.  (C) Li lamented that discrimination is a significant 
obstacle for trafficking victims who try to return home, 
especially in rural communities.  She said there were no 
specific community, health, job training or other social 
services provided for returning victims. 
 
Smugglers Target Children 
-------------------------- 
¶7.  (C) According to Li, the main targets of human trafficking 
in the 1980s and 1990s were rural women, but since the late 
1990s, the crime has expanded to include "smuggling" of 
children.  She noted that boys sold for 2000-3000 RMB (USD 
258-387) in their villages would be purchased for 20,000-30,000 
RMB (USD 2,580-3,870) in eastern China, primarily for the 
purpose of "adoption."  She said she had not heard of any cases 
of children trafficked for prostitution or bonded labor. 
 
 
CHENGDU 00000032  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶8.  (SBU) Given the evident lack of financial resources, Guizhou 
would be an ideal potential candidate for support from the G/TIP 
office, provided local PSB and WF officials could provide 
creative ideas about how to initiate expansion of current 
anti-trafficking efforts.  Post observes that although the 
central government has poured funds into fixed investment in 
infrastructure for Guizhou as part of the Great West Development 
Initiative, few funds appear to have been dispersed to local 
government agencies for education, health care, or social 
programs.  Press reports have also stated that 15 percent of 
Guizhou's population (approximately 5 million) has left to find 
work outside the province.  Programs to increase awareness of 
both employers and migrant workers about the dangers of 
trafficking would be an area ripe for funding. 
BOUGHNER