VZCZCXRO0229
PP RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHCN #0293/01 3420946
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080946Z DEC 09
FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3614
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 4327

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000293 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND G/TIP 
JUSTICE FOR OPDATE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SNAR KTIP KWMN CH
SUBJECT: GUIZHOU HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRENDS MIRROR THOSE OF YUNNAN, 
LESS SEVERE TO SOME EXTENT 
 
REF: A) CHENGDU 165;  B) BEIJING 3214 
 
CHENGDU 00000293  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified 
information - not for distribution on the Internet. 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary: Human trafficking patterns in Guizhou are very 
similar to neighboring Yunnan province, and are dominated by 
forced marriages and illegal adoptions, Guizhou Public Security 
Bureau (PSB) officials told Consul General.  Guizhou is both a 
source for women/children for other provinces in China, and a 
transit point or final destination for trafficked women from 
other countries and other Chinese provinces, especially Yunnan. 
Among children, boys are trafficked most often due to cultural 
preferences for sons, however trafficking of young girls is on 
the rise.  To combat the problem, the Guizhou Anti-TIP Office 
has carried out a series of campaigns, most recently in April 
2009, which have helped to improve the situation.  Like Yunnan, 
no nexus exists between human traffickers and drug dealers; 
however, heroin use is a serious problem in Guizhou, as its HIV 
from shared needles.  Local gang activity is only small and 
disorganized, PSB officials claim.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Guizhou TIP cases have been on the decline in recent 
years, PSB Deputy Director Zhao Xiang told CG recently in 
Guiyang, Guizhou's capital.  Zhao currently heads the anti-TIP 
office of the Guizhou PSB -- an office established in the 1970s 
to combat the then growing problem.  Guizhou is considered an 
origin point ("guaichudi") for women/children who are trafficked 
to other provinces throughout China.  Guizhou is also a transit 
point for trafficking victims, due in large part to its western 
border with Yunnan province and proximity to Southeast Asia. 
Since 2005, Guizhou PSB officials have begun to see cases of 
victims being trafficked to Guizhou as their final destination 
point.  Like Yunnan Province, Guizhou tends to see its residents 
trafficked to other Chinese provinces, instead of overseas 
destinations (ref A).  (Note: TIP definitions are somewhat 
different in China compared to Palermo Protocol standards, with 
neither forced labor nor trafficking of men considered human 
trafficking.  A child is defined as a minor under the age of 14, 
not 18.  In addition, illegal adoptions are counted towards 
China's human trafficking statistics, unlike international 
standards.  Ref A and B.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
Forced Marriages, Illegal Adoptions, and Forced Prostitution 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Like Yunnan, trafficking of Guizhou residents is driven 
by two primary purposes: forced marriages and illegal adoptions. 
 Often women are lured to an area by the incentive of job 
opportunities.  These women are then forced to marry, imprisoned 
within their new homes, and then forced to become pregnant. 
After giving birth, many women decide to stay with their 
husbands to raise their children.  Zhao commented that at times 
women become comfortable in the homes to which they are 
trafficked, in which case the PSB lets the victim decide whether 
or not to return to their original homes.  In a smaller 
percentage of cases, women are trafficked and forced into 
prostitution.  So far, the Guizhou PSB has yet to discover a 
case of a Guizhou resident being trafficked abroad. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Among children, boys remain the primary target for 
trafficking for two main reasons.  One is the traditional 
Chinese belief that boys continue the family line 
("chuanzongjiedai"), the other that boys can be used for farm 
labor.  Typically, boys trafficked in Guizhou are from rural 
areas or are the children of migrant laborers working in urban 
areas. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Recently, the Guizhou PSB has found instances of young 
girls being trafficked to other provinces for illegal adoptions. 
 Zhao declined to provide an explanation for this new 
phenomenon.  (Comment: A Guizhou Foreign Affairs official later 
commented that given the explosion in housing prices, parents 
have become increasingly worried about the costs of raising a 
 
CHENGDU 00000293  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
son.  In traditional Chinese culture, the groom's parents were 
expected to purchase a house for the new couple.  While this 
tradition has weakened considerably, sons are increasingly 
perceived as a financial burden, leading more parents to prefer 
daughters.  End Comment.) 
 
 
 
Guizhou Government Initiatives to Combat Trafficking 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) In May 2008, the Guizhou government issued its 
"Implementation Plan for China National Action Plan on Combating 
Trafficking in Women and Children."  Under this plan, and 
consistent with the central government's 2009 reforms, annual 
promotion assessments for local government and PSB officials now 
take into account anti-TIP achievements.  Perhaps in part due to 
this new plan, Guizhou has begun to crack down on government 
officials' complicity in trafficking.  For example, a Social 
Security official was recently convicted for involvement in 
trafficking activity (ref B). 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Guizhou PSB has also started building a TIP 
database, including DNA records, to coordinate with PSB offices 
throughout China, Zhao said.  He expressed hope that better 
record-keeping throughout China would help to combat the highly 
prevalent inter-province trafficking problem.  The Guizhou PSB 
has also stepped up its cooperation with other provinces; a 
recent combined operation with the PSB in Mianyang, Sichuan 
rescued 16 deaf and dumb women. 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) The GPSB launched an anti-trafficking campaign in April 
¶2009.  Thus far, 44 trafficked children and 46 trafficked women 
have been rescued in Guizhou.  In addition, 107 
trafficking-related cases have been handled, 18 trafficking 
gangs punished, and 179 trafficking criminals arrested. 
Traffickers and heads of trafficking gangs face severe penalties 
up to and including the death penalty.  During the recent 
campaign, 14 women and children were rescued in Guiyang.  In 
Bijie, Guizhou Province, seven trafficked women with mental 
illness and another six children were rescued.  Upon their 
rescue, victims are usually returned to their homes.  Like 
Yunnan, no shelter has been set up for victims; however, Zhao 
stated it is being considered. 
 
 
 
Human Trafficking Gangs Unrelated to Drug Problems 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) Guizhou has a significant drug problem, particularly 
among younger, unemployed people, Zhao said.  Particularly 
problematic are heroin and opium, which are typically imported 
from the Golden Triangle via Yunnan.  In the 1980s, drug use was 
most prevalent among rural populations; however, urban drug use 
has recently been on the rise.  According to a 2006 NIH study, 
injectable drug use remains the most common practice, leading to 
higher HIV prevalence in Guizhou than most other Chinese 
provinces.  As in Yunnan, Zhao commented that there are no links 
between drug gangs and human trafficking gangs in Guiyang (ref 
A). 
 
 
 
¶11. (SBU) Zhao went on to say that gang activity in Guizhou is 
small and disorganized, not at all resembling an organized, 
criminal underground ("heishe").  He commented that the Guizhou 
PSB cracks down on criminal activity before it can become 
organized.  (Comment: Officials are reluctant to comment on 
organized criminal activity; however, we suspect it is at least 
an emerging problem in Guizhou.  End Comment.) 
BROWN