VZCZCXRO6576
RR RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHCN #0208/01 2720610
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290610Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3425
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 4117

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000208 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM AND G/TIP 
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP KWMN PHUM SMIG PGOV CH
SUBJECT: SICHUAN SEES HUMAN TRAFFICKING INCREASE SINCE 2005 
 
REF: CHENGDU 165 
 
CHENGDU 00000208  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified 
information - not for distribution on the Internet. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary: Sichuan Province has seen a dramatic increase 
in human trafficking cases since 2005, a Sichuan Public Security 
Bureau (PSB) official reported, though in the past five months 
provincial authorities have successfully rescued 400 people and 
made 437 arrests.  Sichuan is having some success using a DNA 
databank to match rescued children (abducted for illegal 
adoptions) with their parents, and has also set up telephone and 
e-mail hotlines to receive information on possible cases.  For 
prevention, the PSB is promoting a campaign of seven "do's and 
don'ts" intended to help women and children avoid situations 
that might lead to being trafficked.  End Summary. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Following up on news reports on Sichuan's recent 
anti-trafficking efforts, PolEconOff met September 24 with Yue 
Wenmao, Deputy Director of the Sichuan PSB's Penal Investigative 
Branch, and Cao Hong, Section Chief in the PSB Anti-Trafficking 
Office. 
 
Trafficking Up Since 2005, But Recent Success by PSB 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Since 2005, Sichuan Province has seen a dramatic 
increase in human trafficking cases, Yue reported, particularly 
trafficking of infants and children for illegal adoptions 
(primarily males) and trafficking of women who are forced to 
work as prostitutes.  (Note: China's definition of TIP differs 
from the U.S./international definition, and includes children 
kidnapped for illegal adoptions.  End Note.)  Women are 
sometimes trafficked for forced marriages, but this is not as 
common as in other provinces, Yue claimed.  Most of Sichuan's 
cases involve women or children from Sichuan trafficked to other 
provinces, with very few cases of people from other provinces or 
foreign nationals being trafficked to Sichuan.  Despite 2008 
press reports suggesting children from Sichuan were being 
trafficked to Guangdong Province for labor, Yue told PolEconOff 
that Sichuan currently does not have a problem with child 
trafficking for labor purposes. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In the last five months, Yue continued, Sichuan has 
handled more than 370 trafficking cases, of which 290 have been 
resolved.  144 cases involved children, and 182 cases involved 
women.  The PSB rescued 176 children and 224 women, and arrested 
427 people, Yue reported.  In addition, the PSB located 
approximately 1,000 missing children, though these children were 
not victims of trafficking, he said, but rather were children 
and teenagers who had run away from home or skipped out on 
school.  (Note: Numbers offered by Yue in our meeting closely 
followed those in a recent Sichuan News Network (SNN) report on 
the Sichuan PSB's anti-trafficking efforts.  End Note.) 
 
Using DNA to Reunite Victims with Families 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) Sichuan has had success using a DNA databank to reunite 
rescued children with parents, Yue said, adding that DNA has 
only recently begun to be used in anti-trafficking efforts in 
China.  Under this nationwide system, anti-trafficking officials 
collect DNA samples from parents whose children have gone 
missing as well as from rescued children and then seek matches. 
So far in Sichuan, 175 samples have been entered into the 
databank, and parents of 16 children have been successfully 
identified by local authorities. 
 
PSB Connects to Public Through Phone and Email 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶7. (SBU) In addition to using the DNA databank, Sichuan 
officials have also increased direct communication with the 
public via a telephone hotline and dedicated e-mail address, Yue 
reported.  This allows anti-trafficking officers to communicate 
with domestic NGOs and the public, including parents and 
relatives of missing women or children, helping the PSB uncover 
trafficking cases, he said.  At the same time, people in Sichuan 
are gaining a greater understanding of the PSB's 
anti-trafficking work.  Asked about frequency of calls to the 
hotline, Section Chief Cao said they receive 10-20 calls per 
month. 
 
Prevention: The Seven "Do's and Don'ts" 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) According to a recent Sichuan News Network report, the 
Sichuan PSB is promoting a prevention strategy consisting of the 
 
CHENGDU 00000208  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
"Trafficking Seven Do's and Seven Don'ts" (guaimai qi yao qi bu 
yao) for women and children to help them avoid situations that 
might lead to becoming victims of trafficking:  1) Don't be 
over-trusting when looking for work, do remain vigilant; 2) 
Don't rush out to look for work, do take enough money to cover 
daily expenses; 3) Don't trust promises and temptations, do 
gather sufficient information about the job; 4) Don't avoid 
registration in order to save money, do remember to fully 
complete the job registration forms; 5) Don't accept a ride by 
the middleman to visit a potential job site, do make your own 
way there; 6) Don't stop regular contact with your family, do 
make sure they know your whereabouts; 7) Don't panic in a 
dangerous situation, do look for help in a timely manner. 
 
Structure of Sichuan Anti-Trafficking Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Sichuan developed its own anti-trafficking action plan 
modeled on the central government's 2008 anti-trafficking action 
plan, Yue reported.  Sichuan's anti-trafficking structure 
includes an Anti-TIP Leading Group, chaired by a Vice Governor, 
which includes representatives from 32 provincial departments. 
At the operational level, the Sichuan PSB maintains its own 
anti-trafficking office run by a Deputy Director of the PSB. 
The PSB's anti-trafficking office maintains very close working 
relations with the Sichuan Provincial Women's Federation (a 
branch of the All-China Women's Federation), Yue continued, the 
latter mainly conducting education campaigns. 
BROWN