US embassy cable - 05HANOI1748

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001748 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; INL/AAE; G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, KWMN, PINS, CH, VM, CVR, TIP 
SUBJECT:  U.S.-FUNDED TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS WORKSHOP IN 
QUANG NINH 
 
1. (U) Summary:  Between May 25 - 27, The Asia Foundation, 
using Department of State grant money, held an anti- 
trafficking in persons workshop in Quang Ninh, a 
Northeastern province of Vietnam.  The workshop, which 
received USD 243,915 in funding from the Department, 
attracted a diverse set of participants from central and 
local levels in China and Vietnam.  The workshop, which 
participants and organizers characterized as a success, 
resulted in a range of recommendations for 
coordination/cooperation activities by Vietnam and China in 
the near future.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) The GVN sees trafficking in persons as an evolving 
and emerging crime in Vietnam.  With the 2004 - 2010 anti- 
trafficking plan of action, the GVN has set a target to 
"solve most" of the problem by 2010.  On March 23, Ho Chi 
Minh City Police Department for Order and Social Crimes 
Investigation held a conference to discuss the 
implementation of the plan of action.  Major General Pham 
Xuan Quac, Director General, Department for Order and Social 
Crimes Investigation, Ministry of Public Security (MPS) 
identified the China and Cambodia border areas as 
particularly "thorny" centers of TIP activity. 
 
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Quang Ninh, a Hotspot 
--------------------- 
 
3. (U) In addition to Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Lang Son, An Giang 
and Can Tho Provinces, Quang Ninh is a TIP hotspot.  Quang 
Ninh, with a 132.8 kilometer border with China and a busy 
international border crossing, is located in the northeast 
of Vietnam.  According to the Quang Ninh provincial police, 
in 2004, provincial authorities investigated 13 TIP cases 
and arrested 17 suspects.  The same year, Chinese 
authorities returned 236 "illegal immigrants" to Quang Ninh, 
including 196 women and children.  Out of the 196, 106 had 
earlier been trafficked, according to The Asia Foundation 
(TAF). 
 
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Project Background 
------------------ 
 
4. (U) The TAF Vietnam project is part of a larger three- 
year collaborative program called "East Asia-Pacific (EAP) 
Women's Initiatives on Trafficking and Violence Against 
Women" funded by the U.S Department of State.  This regional 
program is currently being implemented in nine countries in 
the East Asia-Pacific Region, including Vietnam.  Under the 
Vietnam project, Vietnam Women's Union (VNWU), Center for 
Education Promotion and Empowerment of Women (CEPEW) and TAF 
entered into an MOU in November 2002 for the purpose of 
reducing trafficking in persons and violence against women 
in Vietnam.  The project activities focus primarily on 
prevention: education, community monitoring, economic 
empowerment programs for vulnerable women and their 
families, strengthening the capacity of women and local 
institutions involved in anti-trafficking and facilitating 
bilateral and regional coordination. 
 
5. (U) The USD 243,915 Department-funded project, which 
started in January 2003 and is expected to run through June 
2006, focuses on "victimization prevention" as one of the 
regional project's three strategic objectives.  Under the 
victimization prevention goal, the Vietnam project 
activities are realized through community based studies, 
development and publication of training materials, 
prevention education and community monitoring support, 
strategic planning with VNWU, performance presentations for 
anti-trafficking stakeholders, economic empowerment 
programs, travel support for regional workshops and working 
groups and support for cross border workshops in An Giang 
and Quang Ninh Provinces. 
 
----------------------- 
The Workshop: A Success 
----------------------- 
 
6. (U) In addition to a November 2004 workshop in An Giang 
as a component of the Vietnam project, TAF and VNWU held 
another one in Quang Ninh Province May 25 - 27, 2005.  The 
workshop, viewed as a success by TAF, the project's 
coordinating agency, was well attended by central and local 
officials from both Vietnam and China.  According to TAF, 
the workshop achieved its expected outputs, including: 
providing a clear picture of cross-border trafficking 
between Vietnam and China and a better understanding of the 
current legal frameworks and instruments to prevent and 
combat trafficking in both countries; assembling a list of 
recommendations for amending and developing specific laws 
and regulations related to trafficking in persons in both 
countries; developing a plan of action to establish 
mechanisms in each country to strengthen legal enforcement; 
and, developing joint activities to combat cross-border 
trafficking. 
 
7. (U) Over three days, the workshop participants shared 
data and information on the overall situation of trafficking 
where Vietnam and China are concerned; existing legal 
frameworks and instruments in each country to combat 
trafficking; the role of legal aid services for the victims; 
and, collaborative strategies employed by communities and 
governments to prevent trafficking and protect and 
reintegrate victims.  On the final day, participants visited 
a community support group established by the Quang Ninh 
provincial Women's Union (with support from TAF) and 
attended an education campaign organized by the community 
support group. 
 
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Other Efforts 
------------- 
 
8. (U) According to TAF, the workshop is complementary to 
efforts by other organizations seeking to improve 
cooperation between Vietnam and China in combating 
trafficking.  In a separate effort, on June 3, 2004, VNWU 
and its Chinese counterpart launched a UNICEF-funded 
campaign against trafficking in women and children in Mong 
Cai, a border town in Quang Ninh.  The large-scale campaign 
was the first of its kind organized by the two countries' 
Women's Unions and delivered the message "stay united 
against trafficking in women and children for a better 
future."  The campaign's goal is to reduce trafficking cases 
and make sure the message gets to the people.  Recently, 
trafficking has developed most extensively at the Mong Cai 
border gate, in Quang Ninh, the area these campaigns are 
targeting.  Women and children trafficked across the border 
at Mong Cai end up being unhappy wives, slaves or 
prostitutes, according to a recent VietnamNet article. 
 
9. (U) In addition, joint efforts by UNICEF offices in 
Vietnam and China since May 2001 resulted in established 
collaboration between Vietnam and China.  This collaboration 
occurs now at the central and provincial levels, with a 
focus on annual bilateral meetings for relevant counterparts 
of Vietnam and China including (on the Vietnam side):  MPS; 
the Women's Union; Border Guard Command; Vietnam National 
Committee for Population, Family and Children (CPFC); 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA); Ministry of Labor, War 
Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA); and, Quang Ninh and 
Lang Son provincial Women's Unions, Border Guard units and 
Police.  This has led to an agreement between Vietnam and 
China's MPS Criminal Departments on joint investigations and 
arrests of traffickers, UNICEF stated. 
 
10. (U) Simultaneously, at the provincial level, quarterly 
meetings between the two countries' police and border guard 
officers were organized under the UNICEF project.  The 
meetings helped to strengthen collaboration and information- 
sharing between concerned agencies.  Bilateral meetings 
between the Vietnamese Women's Union and Chinese Women's 
Federation were also organized and, according the UNICEF, 
led to the development of communication strategies, joint 
development of information, education and communication 
(IEC) materials and joint communication campaigns in border 
provinces; and, a children's forum.  Under the auspices of 
UNICEF, various joint training workshops were organized for 
key counterparts in Vietnam and China, including MPS, CPFC, 
MOLISA, MFA, VNWU, Border Guard units and Quang Ninh and 
Lang Son's relevant counterparts dealing with international 
tools/laws related to trafficking issues and a child- 
friendly repatriation approach. 
 
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GVN Showed Determination 
------------------------ 
 
11. (U) In the TAF project workshop's opening speech, Ms. 
Truong Thi Khue, VNWU Vice President, stressed the goals of 
the workshop as well as the need for effective information 
sharing, close coordination and regional and international 
cooperation in the fight against trafficking in persons. 
Trafficking in women and children is a pressing social issue 
with profound and serious consequences for the victims, 
their families, community and society, and the development 
of each nation, Khue said. 
 
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A Shopping List 
--------------- 
 
12.  (U) Towards the end of the workshop, participants 
produced and agreed to a joint action plan that included 
recommendations for the Chinese and Vietnamese governments 
on how to better prevent and combat cross-border 
trafficking.  Items on the action plan include: 
 
--  Improving the legal framework to combat trafficking in 
persons; 
--  Simplifying administrative procedures on civil 
registration, residence permits, birth registration and 
marriages for victims; 
--  Providing land/housing for victims; 
--  Establishing reception centers in both countries; 
--  Issuing special policies or regulations to protect the 
rights of women and children in the prosecution and trial 
process of trafficking cases; 
--  Quickly disseminating and implementing agreements by the 
Ministry of Public Security of the two countries; 
--  Strengthening cooperation in research on trafficking in 
persons between the two countries; 
--  Allocating a budget to provide training on legal issues 
and legal assistance for counseling staff; 
--  Inviting the participation of psychologists and lawyers 
in anti-trafficking work; 
--  Exchanging visits, sharing experience; 
--  Mobilizing financial support from international 
organizations. 
 
13.  Comment:  In general, while the GVN strengthens its 
effort against TIP, especially with the creation of the 2004 
- 2010 anti-trafficking plan of action in 2004, it 
appreciates every piece of international assistance in 
reaching its anti-trafficking goals.  Among other activities 
of this project, this workshop helped initiate a possible 
addition of a legal aid component to the existing MLAT 
between Vietnam and China.  Furthermore, through the 
workshop, a network of researchers in the area of 
anti-trafficking has been initiated and set up, which 
hopefully will provide better information on trafficking for 
practitioners as well as other organizations working on 
trafficking.  As a further result of the workshop, follow-up 
work to implement the plan of action is being coordinated 
via TAF offices in Hanoi and Beijing.  These are positive 
results that reflect well on the GVN's willingness and 
ability to address trafficking, as well as TAF's competence 
in carrying out important anti-trafficking projects. 
BOARDMAN