VZCZCXRO7105
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHGZ #0208/01 0450905
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 140905Z FEB 07
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5794
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 0937
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 GUANGZHOU 000208 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI EAGR EINV CH
SUBJECT: Tough to Talk About: TIP in South China 
 
(U) This document is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Talking TIP is not a popular topic in South 
China.  Many recent requests by the Consulate have been turned down 
in Guangxi and Guangdong.  However, trafficking in persons, 
particularly of women, continues to occur from within China's inland 
provinces to South China, as well as from other countries, such as 
Vietnam.  While increased economic development has lowered the 
number of women trafficked to be sold as wives to rural areas in 
Guangdong, reports of trafficking for labor or the sex trade 
continue to be published.  According to Vietnamese diplomats in 
Guangzhou, TIP cooperation with local authorities has improved and 
Vietnam signed an MOU with China in 2006 to enhance cross-border 
cooperation and procedures for victim identification, assistance and 
re-integration.  While not involved in the criminal aspects of 
trafficking in persons (TIP), such as prostitution, the Guangdong 
Women's Federation (WF) has shifted its focus from the spouse trade 
to public education to prevent migrant working women from falling 
victim to trafficking schemes.  Improvements have been seen, but it 
is likely that the extent of the problem is underreported by 
authorities.  Trafficking in spouses will continue to grow as the 
gender imbalance in China widens.  End summary. 
 
Vietnam: Cooperation with China on TIP is Improving 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In a January 31 meeting with the Consul General, Vietnam 
Consul General in Guangzhou Vo Thinh described the Vietnam-China 
border as long, mountainous, and difficult to control.  Traffickers 
frequently use river and forest routes.  In China, the majority of 
trafficked persons from Vietnam are located in South China, i.e., 
Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi, but have been found as far north as 
Chongqing.  Vietnam has expended much effort in public education 
through media and the grassroots efforts of the Women's Union and 
sentenced traffickers to fines and prison.  It does not penalize the 
victims of trafficking, although social stigma remains an issue for 
many victims.  Increased efforts by both sides to promote economic 
development and trade and historically close business relationships 
make it harder to check goods and persons, with a potentially 
negative impact on trafficking enforcement.  While unable to provide 
statistics on numbers of cases, the Consul General thought 
cooperation between Guangdong and Vietnam was positive.  He 
described the Guangdong Public Security Bureau (PSB) as being much 
more responsive in recent years, though the PSB still did not 
provide that much information on the subject.  He termed ministerial 
cooperation with China on TIP "good" but called local-level 
cooperation poor.  Vo also said that Vietnam had discussed TIP 
issues with neighboring countries and at ASEAN, including at 
meetings attending by China, in an effort to combat the problem. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In May 2006, the Government of Vietnam (GVN) and China 
signed an MOU to increase cross-border law enforcement cooperation. 
The Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) was tasked with implementing the 
"victim assistance and re-integration and raising public awareness" 
portfolio of the GVN's National Action Plan against TIP.  It also 
began a series of cross-border workshops with provincial women's 
federation counterparts in China. These reportedly have been 
useful. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Vietnam's approach to solving the issue additionally 
involves improving the economic climate and employment situation 
within Vietnam so that people are not lured by the promise of jobs 
outside of the country.  As part of what Vo termed Vietnam's new 
policy on TIP, the Prime Minister's 2004 National Action Plan is 
designed to assist women victims, with the central government 
providing a global fund for use by Vietnam's embassies and 
consulates to help repatriate victims of trafficking.  When 
contacted by a victim, the embassy/consulate verifies the person's 
identity and checks their status with the local PSB.  The office 
provides money and sometimes clothes to the victim and issues a 
certificate so the person can return to Vietnam.  In Guangdong and 
Guangxi, the Vietnam Consulate will provide a consulate vehicle to 
drive the victim to the Vietnam border in Guangxi at Dongxing or 
Pingxiang, so there is no danger of kidnapping.  Vo was unaware of 
the establishment of a repatriation center in Dongxing, Guangxi, 
which was set up in 2005.  Vietnam has also established victim 
assistance and assessment centers on its side of the border.  Note: 
Congen Guangzhou plans to take a trip to the border area in the 
coming months to look into this matter further.  End Note. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Though Vo was unable to comment on prostitution 
 
GUANGZHOU 00000208  002 OF 004 
 
 
trafficking, we would note a number of news reports in 2006 that 
China had cooperated with Vietnam in cracking down on an increasing 
number of cases of women trafficked for the sex trade, labor, and 
spouses into Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong and other provinces.  We 
have also heard reports of children being trafficked into China for 
sex and labor.  UNICEF-Vietnam is currently working on a project to 
train the Vietnamese Border Command on child trafficking.  In 
Vietnam, trafficking networks are difficult to prosecute because 
they often operate in chains of referrals where few know the 
ultimate destination.  Along many parts of the Vietnam / China 
border, business relationships are historically close and 
traffickers take advantage of this.  Embassy Hanoi points out that 
across the border in Vietnam's northeast Quang Ninh Province, the 
Vietnam Women's Union reported that there has been a definite 
increase in TIP since 2000.  Before 2000, many Vietnamese women went 
voluntarily to China to marry Chinese men; however, since then, 
conditions for women in Quang Ninh have largely improved so 
"voluntary" cross-border marriages have decreased. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Post asked the Guangxi PSB for a meeting and to visit the 
Dongxing border area to discuss TIP issues, its response was that 
the USG had no relation to the TIP issue with Vietnam and refused. 
When we requested the meeting again, the PSB said there was little 
to discuss since the repatriation center concept was just at the 
beginning stage (Note: news reports indicate that the Dongxing 
center was established in 2005 and a second center established in 
Congzuo, also on the Vietnam-Guangxi border.  End note.).  The 
Guangzhou and Guangdong PSB and Guangzhou Women's Federation also 
declined to discuss TIP with Post despite news reports that indicate 
increased enforcement actions by law enforcement and administrative 
agencies. 
 
Guangdong Women's Federation: Stopping The Sale Of Wives 
----------------------------- -------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Guangdong Women's Federation was more willing to talk. 
Guo Suisheng, Deputy Director of Women's Rights and Interests 
Department, and Hu Lilng, Deputy Director of the 
Organization-liaison Department of Guangdong Provincial Women's 
Federation, told Congenoff on February 8 that the Guangdong Women 
Federation is the largest "NGO" in China, though all its staff are 
on the payroll of the Government.  Its main mission is to promote 
women's rights and interests, including combating trafficking in 
women.  According to Guo, the Chinese authorities emphasize fighting 
against the trafficking in women.  China has a law called "Women's 
Rights and Interests Protection Law" passed in 1993 and amended in 
¶2005.  The National Congress also issued a memorandum on severely 
punishing the trafficking of women and children in early 1990s. 
Such laws, as well as regulations and judicial interpretations 
issued by the Government, the Supreme Court and the Procuratorate 
define very clearly each official agency's role and related 
proceedings and remedies in combating the trafficking in women. 
Each layer of Governments' annual work plans also contain the 
element of protection women's interests and rights, which Guo said 
havean anti-trafficking element.  According to Guo, in China's 
criminal code, "the trading of deceived women" and "forced 
prostitution" are two separate charges.  The Women's Federation is 
essentially responsible for the prevention and rescue of the former 
victims, while the PSB takes care of the latter problem as a 
criminal issue.   Inside the provincial PSB there is a special unit 
designated for enforcing anti-trafficking in women and children. 
 
¶8. (U) In addition to implementing its legislatively-mandated 
enforcement efforts, Guo said the Chinese Government often launches 
interregional and interagency campaigns to fight against TIP 
problems.  In 2001, Guangdong, as a major "import" market of 
trafficked women, cooperated with governments of the "export" areas, 
poorer areas to Guangdong's west and north, to launch a joint 
campaign to fight against trafficking in women.  The National 
Congress also sent delegations to Guangdong to inspect the effects 
of such campaigns.  Under the Pan Pearl River Delta cooperation 
(Pan-PRD) framework, Guangdong's Women Federation also has signed 
cooperation agreements on women rights issues, including 
anti-trafficking with its counterparts in the eight other provinces 
and two Special Administrative Regions of Macau and Hong Kong of the 
Pan-PRD region.  Cross-border Women's Federation workshops between 
Vietnam and China to combat TIP have also been growing. 
 
Past Efforts Focused on Preventing Spouse Sales 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Guo, who has over 20 years of working experience in 
 
GUANGZHOU 00000208  003 OF 004 
 
 
protecting women's rights in the Federation, said that in the past 
there are trafficking in women problems in less developed and 
isolated areas, particularly in the remote mountains, in order to 
obtain spouses.  Lufeng County and Xinyi County, which are located 
in eastern and western areas of Guangdong respectively, are the two 
most notorious areas known for this problem.  Farmers in those areas 
are so poor that local women try to leave poverty behind by marrying 
outside people.  At the same time, few women from outside were 
willing come in.  A "tradition" developed for local men to buy women 
from outside as their wives in these counties.  The victim women 
were usually from inland provinces, such as Hunan and Sichuan.  The 
Federation also previously provided match making services in those 
traditional "women import" areas.  Such service is not necessary now 
as the TIP problem is decreasing, according to Guo.  News reports 
continue to indicate that trafficking in women to be spouses remains 
a problem in less developed rural areas in China. 
 
¶10. (SBU) When the Women Federation receives a report of trafficked 
women or a request for its assistance, it works with local police to 
organize enforcement actions.  In the late 1990s, the Federation 
helped local police crack a criminal trafficking group that had sold 
about 30 women.  Guo participated in several rescues, usually 
conducted at night, to spirit the women away by surprise.  Due to 
the isolated, mountainous locations, these operations were often 
difficult and time-consuming. 
 
Shifting Focus Toward Prevention Of Labor Trafficking 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶11. (U) Guo said the trafficking in women for spouses has been rare 
in recent years because the reform and opening program has improved 
local people's living conditions and has given them more 
opportunities to be exposed to the outside.  In the 1980's, the 
Federation handled 30-to-40 cases of trafficking in women cases each 
year, while in 2006, the number was only nine.  The priority of the 
Federation's anti-trafficking efforts has shifted to preventive 
measures, especially to educate migrant women workers from falling 
victims as traded wives and sweatshop laborers. 
 
¶12. (U) The Federation utilizes various means to educate the public. 
 It now tries to promote migrant women workers' awareness of their 
legitimate rights and how to protect themselves better.  They print 
and distribute informational materials, sponsor a hotline which 
number "12338" is directly accessible in the whole province, conduct 
training classes in factories, produce TV programs, and hold 
artistic performances to teach women workers the typical tricks or 
deceptions of traffickers.  They also demonstrate skills for seeking 
outside assistance, such as getting attention from the police in 
case they are being trafficked.  The Federation works with its 
counterparts in the labor exporting regions of inland China to 
introduce reliable job opportunities to migrant women workers to 
reduce their risks of being deceived by traffickers. 
 
¶13. (U) After the Chinese Spring Festival, when a lot of migrant 
workers come to Guangdong for jobs, the Federation works with other 
agencies to organize anti-trafficking promotions in local railway 
and bus stations.  In 2006, such a promotion campaign was headed by 
Guangdong's Vice Governor Madame Lei Yulan and covered the major 
migrant labor-importing cities, including Guangzhou, Foshan, 
Dongguan, Shenzhen, and Huizhou.  In Guangzhou's railway station, 
the Women's Federation used a large outdoor display screen to 
broadcast its anti-TIP message 6,000 times within three months. 
 
¶14. (U) In addition to educating the potential targets of 
trafficking, the Federation also promotes anti-trafficking awareness 
among factories and spouse seekers by explaining to them the likely 
penalty they will face if they use trafficking to obtain women. 
Interlocutors said rescuing victims of trafficking from prostitution 
is not their responsibility as the Federation does not have 
enforcement authority and cannot conduct raids on its own.  However, 
the Federation always passes the request for helping victims to the 
police, and provides psychological counseling and material support 
after they are rescued.  Such services are also provided to children 
rescued from trafficking.  In 2002, the Police cracked a child 
trafficking group in Lufeng County in Guangdong Province that had 
sold eight children to Lufeng County and Hainan Province.  The 
Federation provided psychological and communication counseling to 
the affected families, and later managed to obtain Amway's 
sponsorhip of the children's tuitions. 
 
Comment: Not Talking About It Will Not Make The Problem Go Away 
-------- --------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
GUANGZHOU 00000208  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶15. (SBU) The Chinese Government may well have an efficient and 
organized way of combating trafficking in persons, but provincial 
and local enforcement agencies are reluctant to discuss progress in 
this sensitive area.  As the current leadership in Beijing stresses 
the building of a harmonious society in which weaker social groups 
get more attention and public services, TIP issues will likely get 
more attention in prosperous Guangdong Province.  The increased 
gender imbalance in China due to traditional preferences for boys 
over girls, accentuated by the one-child policy, could cause a 
return to the purchase of spouses down the road as millions of 
unmarried men seek wives from among a diminishing number of women. 
End comment. 
 
¶16. (U) Embassy Hanoi contributed to this cable. 
 
Goldberg