This is, surprisingly, an uphill battle. Australia should shame slaving regimes, like Sudan, and send independent investigators to highlight the abuses. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Second, the Government must understand that fighting the global trade in human beings requires special co-operation. The same energy invested in international efforts against the narcotics trade should be pledged to fight the trade in slaves.
Reports suggest the Asian sex slave trade has spread to Sydney and other Australian cities.
Australia must recognise slavery as a pressing domestic civil rights concern. Human bondage is arguably the worst civil rights violation in Australia today. Indeed, Australians should not wait for their Government to act. The voice and vigilance of every citizen is vital to exposing and eradicating contemporary slavery. With a growing number of slavery cases occurring right in metropolitan centres, ordinary citizens should be on the lookout for cases of forced labour.