Human trafficking police to open border offices

Police are to intensify their operations on the country’s borders to crack down on human trafficking. They will open new offices at Myawady and Mae Sot by the end of October, the police force’s Anti Trafficking in Persons Division in Nay Pyi Taw has announced.
“The aim is to strengthen cooperation with the Thai police to prevent trafficking by improving communications between both our police forces so they can work together effectively on anti-trafficking,” Police Captain Min Naing told The Myanmar Times.
“When the traffickers cross the border with their victims, they disguise themselves in many ways and it is hard to trace them. Now, police from both countries can work together to arrest them,” he said.

Trafficking cases include fraudulent adoption and marriage, forced labour and medical treatment. The final destinations are normally Thailand and China, where women can be sold for marriage and there are markets for internal organs from children.
The division, formerly known as the anti-human trafficking taskforce, opened offices in Tachileik and Chinyaing in March 2012 and at Kawthaung and Ranong in August 2012. On the Chinese border, offices are located at Muse, Shweli, Loikyawe, Kyanphone, Laukkai and Nahmsan.
The police work with the UN anti-trafficking agency UNIAP and local NGOs, offering awareness-raising activities. Training, talks and other events focused on improving education about human trafficking have been or will be held in Nay Pyi Taw, Kyaikto and Mawlamyine this month, while police are planning another event in Pathein township, Ayeyarwady Region, in the second week of November.
Pol Cap Min Naing said education was likely to prompt an increase in the number of cases being reported but this would not mean more trafficking was taking place.
“In the past five years, few cases of trafficking have been reported because of a lack of awareness. Now people are better informed so they tell us and we can take prompt action,” he said. “But it is still important to increase awareness so that the public cooperate against trafficking.”
Police Colonel Aye Thein from the division’s Mawlamyine branch said government departments and members of the public are only vaguely aware of the problem. “People called us ‘anti-smuggling police’, which means they still need more awareness about trafficking,” he said. “We need to increase cooperation with civil society groups and the media to raise awareness.”
The division was established in January 2006 to prevent trafficking, protect those vulnerable, prosecute traffickers and enhance cooperation around the issue.