VZCZCXRO5675
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH
DE RUEHHM #0608/01 2710942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280942Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6045
INFO RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 3943
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 6282

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000608 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP PREL PGOV VM
SUBJECT: CROSS-COUNTRY COORDINATION ON RESCUE OF 8 TIP VICTIMS 
 
HO CHI MIN 00000608  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The dramatic rescue of eight Vietnamese women 
from a brothel in Thailand's southern Yala province in August 
highlighted Vietnamese authorities' improving investigation 
techniques and cooperation with regional law enforcement 
officials, as well as their effective collaboration with 
international anti-trafficking NGOs.  With more resources, the 
GVN's anti-trafficking efforts could be even more effective. 
End Summary. 
 
 
 
Cross Country Collaboration 
 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In August, Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper carried the 
harrowing tale of eight Vietnamese women rescued during a Thai 
Department of Special Investigation (DSI)raid on a brothel in 
Thailand's southern Yala province on the border with Malaysia. 
The eight women are originally from the Cambodian border 
province of Tay Ninh and range in age from 17 to 21 years of 
age. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Contacts at anti-trafficking NGO AFESIP (French acronym 
for Acting for Women in Distressing Situations) said Thai 
authorities acted on a tip received from the Vietnamese 
anti-trafficking police (PC 14), delivered via the Vietnamese 
Embassy in Bangkok.  PC 14 learned of the potential whereabouts 
of the missing women from group of traffickers arrested in 
southern Vietnam.  AFESIP was instrumental in linking PC 14 and 
the Vietnamese Embassy to the right anti-trafficking 
counterparts in DSI.  Within three days, Thai police rescued the 
women and amassed enough evidence to charge their captors with 
trafficking.  DSI is now holding one 46-year old alleged 
trafficker and is looking for three additional Malaysian 
suspects connected with the brothel.  AFESIP said the eight 
women are in protective custody and are participating in the 
ongoing investigation of the trafficking ring.  They will 
eventually be transferred to the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok 
for repatriation. 
 
 
 
Victims Lured By False Labor Recruiter 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) According to the media reports, the victims said they 
were approached by a Vietnamese woman named Tuyen who was 
looking for people to work in restaurants in Singapore in March 
and promised high salaries.  Instead of going to Singapore, 
however, the women were flown to Thailand.  After arriving in 
Bangkok and having their passports confiscated, the women were 
taken to the brothel in Betong district, Yala province.  Tuyen's 
Malaysian husband ordered them to work as prostitutes and 
threatened death for anyone who disobeyed.  Although the brothel 
owner collected VND1.7 million (approximately $100 USD) per 
client, the women were paid next to nothing, because the brothel 
owner told them their wages were being used to pay the "debt" 
they incurred for their cosmetics, blankets and airfare from 
Vietnam to Thailand. 
 
 
 
Comment 
 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) While anti-trafficking efforts in Vietnam have seen 
measurable improvement in the last few years, particularly in 
the area of law-enforcement, further progress is restricted by 
the realities of what authorities have to work with.  PC-14 
teams are specialized criminal police units located within MPS 
departments in HCMC and at the provincial and district level. 
The HCMC team is tasked with coordinating with their provincial 
counterparts in all provinces from Da Nang to Ca Mau, an area 
they admit is far too large for their limited resources.  PC 14 
is committed to rescuing Vietnamese TIP victims abroad and is 
slowly establishing the ties with Interpol, foreign missions and 
law enforcement agencies needed to network effectively, but say 
their outreach efforts are hampered by insufficient budgets and 
a lack of human resources.  PC 14 contacts believe more 
specialized police officers and investigators are needed because 
TIP cases are increasingly more complex and laborious due to the 
multiple countries and entities involved.  Success stories such 
as this one could be more common if the GVN invested more 
resources in anti-TIP efforts, including anti-TIP training at 
 
HO CHI MIN 00000608  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the local commune police level, since they are often the first 
to learn of trafficking victims via family members.  End comment. 
 
 
 
¶7. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Hanoi. 
FAIRFAX