Wa-pedia Home > Japan Forum & Europe Forum
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Human-trafficking at record 79 cases but number more likely in thousands

  1. #1
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 17, 2002
    Location
    ¼‹ž
    Posts
    2,434

    Human-trafficking at record 79 cases but number more likely in thousands

    Japan Times : Human-trafficking at record 79 cases but number more likely in thousands

    Police either made arrests in or turned over to prosecutors 79 cases of alleged human-trafficking involving foreign women forced into the sex industry or other forms of exploitation last year.
    ...
    The cases are believed to be just the tip of the iceberg. Human rights groups and researchers estimate thousands of women, mostly from poor parts of Asia, are trafficked into Japan every year and forced to work in the sex trade.

    Japan came under international pressure last year to combat human-trafficking after the U.S. State Department issued a report in June slamming Japan's efforts to crack down on the problem.

    Tokyo subsequently adopted a plan to combat human-trafficking in December.

    As Japan has no specific laws against human-trafficking, police have to use other laws related to immigration, prostitution, employment security and other areas to combat the problem.
    That is part of my complain about Japan's legal system, but possibly due to different moral standards, namely that prostitution has always existed, is natural and necessary for the society as an outlet to violence for men. Maybe, but that doesn't mean human trafficking is justified and that there should be no law about it.

    Visit Japan for free with Wa-pedia
    See what's new on the forum ?
    Eupedia : Europe Guide & Genetics
    Maciamo & Eupedia on Twitter

    "What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?", Winston Churchill.

  2. #2
    Manga Psychic PaulTB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 22, 2004
    Posts
    78
    If they work a bit harder at it they might catch up with America
    http://www.demdsynod.org/news/newscl...ckingconf.html

  3. #3
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 17, 2002
    Location
    ¼‹ž
    Posts
    2,434
    Quote Originally Posted by PaulTB
    If they work a bit harder at it they might catch up with America
    http://www.demdsynod.org/news/newscl...ckingconf.html
    Well, Japan likes to immitate the US. Maybe the figures "per capita" are already as high, but not reported.

  4. #4
    Manga Psychic PaulTB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 22, 2004
    Posts
    78
    Quote Originally Posted by Maciamo
    Well, Japan likes to immitate the US. Maybe the figures "per capita" are already as high, but not reported.
    I don't actually mind much about which figure is above the other - per capita or otherwise - it's just my reflex reaction to something seeming to be a big Japanese problem as opposed to just a big problem, also happening in Japan.

  5. #5
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 17, 2002
    Location
    ¼‹ž
    Posts
    2,434
    That's true. Maybe I should give comparative figures.

    CNN : Sex slavery: The growing trade

    Quote Originally Posted by CNN
    An estimated two million women and children are sold into the sex trade every year, the U.S. research group Protection Project states.
    ...
    Up to 120,000 women are smuggled into western Europe, mainly from central and eastern Europe, and forced into prostitution.
    ...
    It says more than 15,000 women are trafficked into the United States every year, many of them young girls from Mexico.
    ...
    Almost 200,000 girls from Nepal, many of them under the age of 14, are working as sex slaves in India.

    An estimated 10,000 women from the former Soviet Union have been forced into prostitution in Israel.

    The Thai government reports that 60,000 Thai children have been sold into prostitution.

    As many as 10,000 children aged between six and 14 are virtually enslaved in brothels in Sri Lanka.

    Some 20,000 women and children from Burma have been forced into prostitution in Thailand.
    The figures for Europe are actually higher. That is surprisingl considering the vey high number of soaplands, 'massage parlours', etc. in Japan, while I have seen very few such places or brothels in Europe. There are brothels/strip-clubs in Western Europe but only in relatively big cities/towns, limited to a small neighbourhood (eg. Pigalle in Paris, Soho in London), but It's definitely not something that can be found in front of every metro or train station like in Tokyo (or the Japanese cities I have been to, not sure for others, but probably the same, as for everything in Japan). However, the Japanese ones are much more discreet (the 'massage parlour' type where the prostitute try to lure the men walking in the street inside. Can't count the number of times some dubbious Asian woman with a clearly non-Japanese accent (maybe Chinese, Thai or Filipina) trying to hook me to one of the 'massage parlour' on a main street near a station. This never happened to me in Europe, as I would have to pass through a dubbious area in the first place. In Japan it can't be avoided, except if one stays at home or live in the remote countryside (but most Japanese live in big cities, 1/4 in Tokyo, another quarter in Kansai).

    I have travelled to many countries, including most of South-East Asia (except Myanmar and Laos), but the only country that I can compare to Japan for the number of hookers, soaplands, etc. is Thailand. Maybe I didn't see them in Vietnam as I was with my wife, and not so much in the Philippines because I got out of Manila for the traditional countryside as soon as I could. I am sure the problem is also rampant there, and possibly worse than Japan. What I want to say is that Japan is definitely closer to these Asian countries than to what I experienced in Europe. This surprised me at first, as I thought prostitution was caused by poor economic conditions (which Japan does suffer from). But I realised that it is more a matter of culture. There is much less stigma on sex and prostitution in East Asia than in Western countries. Things are just more apparent - they don't even try to dissimulate it. And there doesn't need to be one special district for it when there can be many all over the city.

    This being said, I don't really care. I just wanted to point out at an obvious difference between "East" and "West". After that it's a matter of personal preference/sensibility.
    Last edited by Maciamo; Apr 16, 2005 at 09:50.

  6. #6
    Regular Member misa.j's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 6, 2004
    Location
    NYS, US
    Age
    52
    Posts
    81
    There was an article about sexual slave and human-trafficking in The New York Times magazine last year; it was horrifying to read. There was this photo of a young woman standing, facing down as if trying to hide, in the middle of 40~50 men straring at her in a circle which was taken in Mexico; a lot of men in a suit and looked like ordinary businessmen.
    In the article, it said that the captives, as young as toddlers, are bought to many professionals such as bankers, lawyers, doctors and even child psycologists.

    It is so messed up.

  7. #7
    Dweller lolife's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 23, 2004
    Location
    Borås
    Age
    45
    Posts
    7
    There's a lot about that in the media here. There are people in eastern europe who's business is smuggle women (and probably boys and girls as well ) in here from the east, and 'sold' to any sick fsck who pays. They're having them locked up in apartments, and takes them out only when they're to serve that purpose. It's really, really sick. Oh, and if you have strong feelings about this, don't watch 'Lilja 4-ever'..


  8. #8
    Manga Psychic PaulTB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 22, 2004
    Posts
    78
    Quote Originally Posted by Maciamo
    This being said, I don't really care. I just wanted to point out at an obvious difference between "East" and "West". After that it's a matter of personal preference/sensibility.
    As far as prostitution goes it isn't so much happens vs doesn't happen as is visible vs isn't visible.

    Which is better? A country with hidden prostitution or one with open prostitution?

    In my opinion licensed and regulated legal activities such as soapland (I won't say 'prostitution' as there's that clintonesque pretence that actual sex isn't supposed to take place) are a (small) step up on an equivalent amount of unlicensed and illegal activity.

    I am, however, disappointed with the evidence that even in countries where prostituion is legal (e.g. Australia) illegal prostitution is still present. The main two reasons for which seems to be a) An illegal immigrant (voluntarily, duped or kidnapped into the country) is cheaper than a legal worker and b) People with nasty desires can't always be satisfied with what's available over the counter.

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 0
    Last Post: Mar 2, 2005, 14:18
  2. Thousands clash with police in southern China
    By Wang in forum Social issues
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: Dec 27, 2004, 17:36
  3. BOOK REVIEW : Japan as anything but number one
    By Maciamo in forum All Things Japanese
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: Aug 30, 2004, 03:50
  4. Chinese hurdler sets new Olympic record and ties World record!!
    By Dream Time in forum Chinese News & Hot topics
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: Aug 29, 2004, 08:53
  5. Does the ISP number give info on the user's location ?
    By Maciamo in forum Miscellaneous
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: Jan 13, 2003, 00:24

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •