Human Trafficking : Transnational
Crime between Japan and Thailand

Wanchai Roujanavong
January 2012
UNAFEI Human trafficking is a form of modern

day slavery

 It is a heinous and widespread crime

occuring around the world

 It is a very profitable but low risk crime Most of human trafficking involve or areorganized or controlled by organizedcriminal groups2Definitions
 “Trafficking in persons” means

1 recruitment ,transportation, transfer, harboring orreceipt of persons,
2 by means of the threat or use of force or other formsof coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, ofthe buse of power or of a position of vulnerability orof the giving or receiving of payments or benefits toachieve the consent of a person having control overanother person,
3 for the purpose of exploitation.

Definitions
 Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, theexploitation of prostitution of others or other forms ofsexual exploitation, force labour or services, slavery
or practices similar to slavery, servitude or theremoval of organs

 The recruitment, transportation, transfer, hobouring

or receiving of a child for the purpose of exploitationshall be considered ‘trafficking in persons’ even if
this does not involve any of the means used against
adultsTypes of human trafficking
 There are 4 main types of humantrafficking:1 Trafficking for prostitution or other forms
of sexual exploitation,
2 Trafficking for forced labour or service,
3 Trafficking for slavery or practice similar
to slavery,
4 Trafficking for the removal of organs.
5Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan Thailand has 3 statuses:

1 as a country of origin,
2 as a country of destination
3 as a transit country

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Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan Human trafficking between Thailand andJapan:

 Thailand is the country of origin
 Japan is the country of destination

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Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan The main type of human trafficking fromThailand to Japan is trafficking for theexploitation of prostitution of others orother forms of sexual exploitation,8

Trafficking in Persons

9Human trafficking for forced prostitution

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Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan
 More than 20,000 Thai women were brought

to Japan each year to work in commercial sex
businesses, e.g. brothel, massage parlour,
bars, pubs and other types of commercial sex
businesses

11Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan There are 3 types of women coming towork in Japan
1 They are deceived about the works andthe condition of the works. When they
arrive, they are detained and forced towork in commercial sex business

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Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan
They know that they are going to work incommercial sex business but are deceived
by the conditions of the work. When they
arrive in Japan, they are told to pay backthe debt of 5 million yen or sleep with500 customers without pay. They aredetained and forced to work under thatcondition.
3 They receive correct information andwilling to come to work in commercial sex
business under the condition set by thebrothel owners.
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Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan The first and the second types are

considered to be human trafficking inaccordance with the definition of thetrafficking protocol
 They are told that they are in debt of
5,000,000 Yens and have to service 500
customers to clear the debt
 Their passports are confiscated, they aredetained and forced to be prostitutes by
the brothel owners and are punished ifthey try to escape14

Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan Thailand tries to solve the problem by:

1 Campaign against human trafficking, esp. in
the rural areas,
2 Raising awareness of the public and law
enforcement on human trafficking issue,
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Enact a new Anti-Human Trafficking Act toseverely punish human aand fully protect
victims

4 Arrest the traffickers in Thailand who
trafficked the victims to Japan15

Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan
5 In case it is possible Thailand asks for
extradition of the traffickers or exploitersfrom Japan to Thailand to prosecute them inThai court6 The Thai Embassy is ready to help the Thaivictims of human trafficking if they ask forhelp and will repatriate them back toBangkok
7 The Thai authorities will wait for the victims
at the airport and try to get information toarrest the traffickers.
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Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan
8 Thailand is trying to enhance cooperation
with Japan in several aspects to fight humantrafficking between the two countries
9 Thailand and Japan is negotiating anagreement to exchange of information forthe purpose of preventing Thai women frombeing trafficked to Japan and for saferepatriation
10 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
has improves the passport security tocounter fake passport
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Human trafficking fromThailand to Japan
Many human traffickers who trafficked
women to be prostitutes in Japan had been
severely punished by Thai court.
In one case, two traffickers were prosecutedand the court convicted the first trafficker
with 39 years imprisonment and the second
trafficker with 28 years imprisonment.

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How Thailand and Japan joinhands in solving the problem
Japan is also trying very much to solve thisproblem as well.
One measure used is to strengthen
immigration control both in visa issuing andentry control plus other measures.

19How Thailand and Japan joinhands in solving the problem
However, without close cooperation, it isvery difficult for both countries to solve theproblem
Cooperation between Thailand and Japanjust cover the areas of prevention,suppression, protection of victims,repatriation, reintegration, exchange ofinformation, extradition and mutual legal
assistance.
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How Thailand and Japan joinhands in solving the problem
The most important thing is to put thetraffickers in Thailand and the exploiters inJapan in jail for the offence of humantrafficking, or else they will traffic more andmore women into Japan and the problem
will never end.
Thailand is ready to cooperate with Japan inevery aspect because we want very much tosolve the problem.

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Thank you for your attention

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