Background Briefing:
Paracel Islands: Chinese Boats
Attack Vietnamese Fishing Craft
Carlyle A. Thayer
May 28, 2013
[client name deleted]
What you make of this development:
http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/pages/20130525-vietnam-boat-reports-ofattack-
by-china-boat.aspx (see story below)?
Is it be just the beginning of a series of attacks on Vietnamese fishermen in the
troubled waters?
ANSWER: Chinese fishing boats operate as an arm of China's local authorities and
national government. They are permitted to act with impunity against foreign
fishermen in waters claimed by China. Chinese fishing boat captains can do virtually
anything and not fear punishment. Chinese propaganda has convinced Chinese
fishermen that the South China Sea belongs exclusive to China.
Confrontations of this nature will continue as long as the fishermen of both countries
fish in these waters. Vietnamese fishing boats in waters around the Hoang Sa islands
will be subject to harassment and further incident are likely unless the leaders of
both countries agree to show restraint. This is unlikely at the moment. China's
prestige is on the line because it has declared its unilateral fishing ban.
I would not view this incident as the start of a new campaign but a continuation of
past actions by the Chinese side. Since 2007 China's response has varied. China is
unable to apply a consistent policy because so many local, regional and national
actors are involved. Chinese fishing boat captains will act aggressively because they
are fueled by hyper-nationalism.
Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Paracel Islands: Chinese Boats Attack
Vietnamese Fishing Craft,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, May 28, 2013. All
background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer).
Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues to
selected clients. It was officially registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.
Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123
2
Vietnam condemns China for attack on fishermen off Paracels
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 05:50:00 Vietnam has accused a Chinese vessel of attacking a Vietnamese fishing boat off the coast of Vietnam's Paracel (Hoang Sa) Islands, calling the incident a breach of international maritime law. "This is a very serious case, violating Vietnam's sovereignty, threatening the lives and sabotaging the properties of Vietnamese fishermen," Luong Thanh Nghi, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a statement late Monday. The attack is against the spirit of the talks in which Beijing committed to fully follow the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Nghi said. "Vietnam resolutely opposes this and demands that China investigate and strictly deal with the above wrongdoings and compensate for the damages carried by Vietnamese fishermen," he said. The body of a Vietnamese boat that was damaged after being attacked by a Chinese boat on May 20 (see photo below) He also said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry officials on Sunday met representatives of the Chinese embassy in Hanoi. The Vietnamese officials handed over a diplomatic note objecting to the attack, he added. Tran Van Trung, captain of the attacked vessel, said the incident had happened on May 20 when he and 15 crew members were some 27 nautical miles off Quang Ngai Province's Tri Ton Island of the Paracels, when they were surrounded by a fleet of 18 Chinese boats. The waters where the incident took place has been considered Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. The Chinese boats continuously forced him to drive his boat away, Trung was quoted by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper as saying. The Chinese forces filmed and photographed them as well, he said. Later a red boat twice crashed into the Vietnamese boat, causing VND100 million (US$4,689) in damages, according to the Tuoi Tre report. In March, Vietnam also said a Chinese ship fired flares at four Vietnamese fishing boats from Quang Ngai Province that were fishing in their traditional fishing grounds in the Paracels, a move Vietnam criticized as “inhumane and dangerous”. Over the years, hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen and their crews have fallen prey to China’s increasingly aggressive patrols around the disputed islands in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. China and four members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei – are embroiled in sovereignty disputes over the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. China illegally claims sovereignty over 80 percent of the East Sea.
3
The waters are thought to hold vast untapped reserves of oil and natural gas that could potentially place China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and other claimant nations alongside the likes of Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Qatar. In 1974, taking advantage of the withdrawal of the American troops from the Vietnam War, China invaded the Paracel Islands. A brief but bloody naval battle with the forces of the then US-backed Republic of Vietnam ensued. Vietnam’s behemoth northern neighbor has illegally occupied the islands ever since. But a post-1975 united Vietnam has never relinquished its ownership of the Paracel Islands and continues to keep military bases and other facilities on the Spratly Islands. Vietnam has also recently voiced its opposition to and dismissed China’s unilateral ban on fishing in the East Sea that is effective until August. Vietnam said the banned area encompasses its waters and violates its sovereignty over the Paracels. To make matter worse, in early this month, China sent one of its largest fishing fleets on record to the disputed Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands, a move analysts say that will inevitably deplete fish stocks further, affecting Southeast Asian littoral states that rely heavily on the same fisheries. By doing so, analysts say Beijing can dare others to try to expel Chinese fishing boats from one expanse while daring other nations' fishing boats to enter another expanse patrolled by Chinese vessels. "China will continue to creatively seek new ways to assert its claims commensurate with its increased presence in the area and widening power gap vis-a-vis the other claimants," said Ristian Supriyanto, a maritime expert with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. "Although these assertions are actually disregarded by the other claimants, they are enough to demonstrate Chinese resolve," Supriyanto told Thanh Nien News. The analysts say if China is not opposed by claimant states, its actions will lay the foundation to claim that littoral states have acquiesced and accepted China's territorial claim. By dispatching its own fishing fleet to one zone (the Spratlys) while forbidding others to fish in another (the Paracels), "China considers the case regarding the Paracels with Vietnam 'closed'," said Mark Valencia, a Hawaii-based expert on the dispute. Thanh Nien News
Background Briefing:
Vietnam: President Truong Tan
Sang Visits China
Carlyle A. Thayer
June 20, 2013
[client name deleted]
We seek your assessment on the state of Sino-Vietnam relations amid Vietnamese
President Truong Tan Sang's three-day state visit in China this week. Could you
please offer your assessment on the issues below:
Q1. Both sides have gone to war before and now have territorial disputes in the
South China Sea that have at times triggered diplomatic rows. Most recently,
Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung gave a speech in Singapore at the Shangrti-La
Dialogue that was seen as a hint of the country's displeasure or concern over China's
assertiveness in the South China Sea. But yet both sides have also recently made
pledges to boost cooperation and taken actions like setting up naval hotlines to
prevent conflicts. China and Vietnam have both played up the importance of Mr
Sang'svisit, which China has accorded with the highest honour on Wednesday,
replete with 21-gun salute and a lengthy 3-minute news item on prime-time TV. As
such, how would you describe the current Sino-Vietnam relationship, how does each
view the other, what are the reasons behind the current dynamics, and what are the
challenges or concerns each side faces/weighs in dealing with the other?
ANSWER: China and Vietnam maintain a dense web of party-to-party, state-to-state
and military-to-military relations. They both co-chair a Joint Steering Committee at
deputy prime minster level to oversee all aspects of their bilateral relations. The
most recent meeting, the sixth, was held in May. China and Vietnam also conduct a
strategic defence dialogue. The last meeting also was in May. Both meetings set the
stage for President Sang's visit. The 1979 border war is behind them. China and
Vietnam have demarcated their land border and the Gulf of Tonkin where there is a
joint fishing area. Both sides have also compartmentalized their South China Sea
dispute and prevented it from spilling over and negatively affecting their broader
and deeper comprehensive strategic partnership.
The Vietnam-China relationship is one of great asymmetry in terms of power.
President Sang's visit is a symbol of deference but it is also part of more or less
regular high-level exchanges. Nevertheless there are contentious issues and mutual
suspicions in their relations. Vietnam has a whopping US $13 billion trade deficit with
China. This cannot be overcome so Vietnam encourages stepped up Chinese
investment in Vietnam. Beijing is suspicious that Vietnam is encouraging the United
Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123
2
States to balance China. Vietnam is ever suspicious about Chinese influence in Vietnam and Chinese actions that challenge Vietnam's claims in the South China Sea.
Q2. How does the current Sino-Vietnam relationship compare with that between China and other Southeast Asian nations, especially the Philippines or those locked in South China Sea dispute with China? How has the Sino-Vietnam relationship changed over the years or recently, and why?
ANSWER: In 1999-2000 China signed separate long-term cooperative framework agreements with each of the ten members of ASEAN. There were differences among these various documents, especially on defence relations. These agreements served to structure bilateral relations. China-Vietnam bilateral relations have been upgraded from a strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership. As a result Vietnam and China have a dense web of bilateral relations that has withstood tensions over the South China Sea. The trajectory of Sino-Vietnam relations is shaped by geography; the two countries share a common land border and common waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. Vietnam is ever mindful of its past history with China and therefore tempers its response to Chinese actions.
Relations between China and the Philippines have altered markedly with the change from the Arroyo to the Aquino administration. Here, in contrast to Vietnam, China has used a mild form of economic sanctions to pressure Manila, such as temporarily halting the import of bananas and cancelling tourist group flights.
Q3. What kind of impact does the Sino-Vietnam relationship have on regional stability?
ANSWER: Stable Sino-Vietnamese relations contributes to regional stability. Vietnam’s own growing strategic weight in ASEAN adds ballast to Sino-Southeast Asian relations. Tensions between China and Vietnam shape the security environment in Southeast Asia and has resulted in pressures among ASEAN members to present a united front towards China.
Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Vietnam: President Truong Tan Sang Visits China,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, June 20, 2013. All background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer).
Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues to selected clients. It was officially registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.
Background Briefing:
Vietnam: Human Trafficking by
Chinese-Vietnamese Gangs
Carlyle A. Thayer
July 4, 2013
[client name deleted]
We request your assessment of this human trafficking story below. In particular we
would like your evaluation of why it could be on the rise.
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/11273/human-trafficking-on-the-rise-in-vn-policewarn
(story reprinted below).
ANSWER: The Tuoi Tre story has headlines saying that human trafficking is on the
rise while the text of the report does not provide evidence for this claim. The police
are quoted as stating that human trafficking is becoming increasingly complex and
international in nature. The collusion between Vietnamese and Chinese gangs is well
known. This has led to the Ministry of Public Security sending police to China to
cooperate in operations designed to rescue Vietnamese who have been trafficked. It
would appear that these joint efforts led to the rescue of 216 Vietnamese victims.
One reason for the persistence of human trafficking is that although the Vietnamese
government is credited with making significant efforts to combat human trafficking it
does not yet fully comply with the minimum international standards for the
elimination of trafficking, according to the 2013 U.S. Department of State Trafficking
in Persons Report. One key weakness in Vietnam’s anti-trafficking effort is the failure
of the government to take steps to identity vulnerable or high-risk persons in danger
of being trafficked such as women and children in poverty stricken areas.
Another weakness is Vietnam’s slowness in providing implementation measures to
accompany the Anti-Trafficking Law that was passed in 2012. Vietnam has continued
to rely on out of date laws that are not specific enough to deal with the complex
issues raised by human trafficking. For example, some trafficking cases are resolved
under Vietnam’s labour laws. These do not attract criminal penalties. Other
trafficking cases are dealt with under vague clauses in the Penal Law. Vietnam needs
to issue necessary decrees to implement its Anti-Trafficking Law, including listing
heavy penalties for traffickers. Vietnam also concentrates on trafficking for sexual
exploitation and gives less priority to cases involving trafficking for forced labour and
forced child labour in particular.
Despite Vietnam’s efforts to address human trafficking, where some progress has
been made, Vietnam has a long way to go to meet best international practices.
Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123
2
Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer,” Vietnam: Human Trafficking by Chinese-Vietnamese Gangs,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, July 4, 2013. All background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer).
Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues to selected clients. It was officially registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.
Human trafficking on the rise in Vietnam, police warn
Tuoi tre news
Updated : 07/03/2013 12:03 GMT + 7
Vietnamese police have warned that human trafficking in the country is becoming increasingly complex and international in nature.
>> 12 sentenced for trafficking women to China
The warning was released by the General Department for Crime Prevention and Control (GDCPC) at a conference jointly held by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Hanoi on July 2.
Colonel Le Van Chuong, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office on Drugs and Crimes, said that human traffickers mainly target women and children, who account for about 80 percent of the total number of victims of human trafficking.
However, human trafficking rings have also bought and sold men, newborns, unborn babies, and human organs, Chuong said, adding that they also operate hired pregnancy (giving hired birth) services.
According to the GDCPC’s statistics, more than 3,200 human trafficking cases have been uncovered in Vietnam since 2005, involving 5,600 traffickers and 7,000 victims.
3
GDCPC shared several noticeable cases to the conference’s delegates. Among these includes cases in which a number of Vietnamese colluded with Chinese thugs to raid houses in remote and isolated areas in Vietnam’s mountainous northern region to abduct children after killing their relatives.
In Ha Giang Province, for example, 115 such cases have occurred since 2007, and 142 children have been kidnapped. Seven people were killed and three others were injured in these cases.
Also worth noting are cases involving the selling of young Vietnamese women to China, South Korea and Taiwan through fake marriages.
In addition, rings that illegally send people from Vietnam to China for the sale of human organs have recently emerged.
There have also been cases in which human trafficking was carried out under the cover of labor export. In such cases, traffickers usually keep their victims’ passports while forcing them to do compulsory work or make them become victims of sexual abuse.
Last month, the southern Tay Ninh Province People’s Court gave sentences from three to 14 years in jail for 12 defendants who sold Vietnamese women to China as potential wives for Chinese men.
Of these defendants, Tu Sy Muoi, 59, received the heaviest sentence, 14 years in jail, while the others were sentenced from three years in suspension to 12 years in prison.
From 2011 to July 2012, these traffickers sold 20 young Vietnamese women to China, where Chinese men who wanted to buy the women as wives had to pay VND80-100 million ($4,800).
Paracel Islands: Chinese Boats
Attack Vietnamese Fishing Craft
Carlyle A. Thayer
May 28, 2013
[client name deleted]
What you make of this development:
http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/pages/20130525-vietnam-boat-reports-ofattack-
by-china-boat.aspx (see story below)?
Is it be just the beginning of a series of attacks on Vietnamese fishermen in the
troubled waters?
ANSWER: Chinese fishing boats operate as an arm of China's local authorities and
national government. They are permitted to act with impunity against foreign
fishermen in waters claimed by China. Chinese fishing boat captains can do virtually
anything and not fear punishment. Chinese propaganda has convinced Chinese
fishermen that the South China Sea belongs exclusive to China.
Confrontations of this nature will continue as long as the fishermen of both countries
fish in these waters. Vietnamese fishing boats in waters around the Hoang Sa islands
will be subject to harassment and further incident are likely unless the leaders of
both countries agree to show restraint. This is unlikely at the moment. China's
prestige is on the line because it has declared its unilateral fishing ban.
I would not view this incident as the start of a new campaign but a continuation of
past actions by the Chinese side. Since 2007 China's response has varied. China is
unable to apply a consistent policy because so many local, regional and national
actors are involved. Chinese fishing boat captains will act aggressively because they
are fueled by hyper-nationalism.
Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Paracel Islands: Chinese Boats Attack
Vietnamese Fishing Craft,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, May 28, 2013. All
background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer).
Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues to
selected clients. It was officially registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.
Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123
2
Vietnam condemns China for attack on fishermen off Paracels
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 05:50:00 Vietnam has accused a Chinese vessel of attacking a Vietnamese fishing boat off the coast of Vietnam's Paracel (Hoang Sa) Islands, calling the incident a breach of international maritime law. "This is a very serious case, violating Vietnam's sovereignty, threatening the lives and sabotaging the properties of Vietnamese fishermen," Luong Thanh Nghi, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a statement late Monday. The attack is against the spirit of the talks in which Beijing committed to fully follow the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Nghi said. "Vietnam resolutely opposes this and demands that China investigate and strictly deal with the above wrongdoings and compensate for the damages carried by Vietnamese fishermen," he said. The body of a Vietnamese boat that was damaged after being attacked by a Chinese boat on May 20 (see photo below) He also said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry officials on Sunday met representatives of the Chinese embassy in Hanoi. The Vietnamese officials handed over a diplomatic note objecting to the attack, he added. Tran Van Trung, captain of the attacked vessel, said the incident had happened on May 20 when he and 15 crew members were some 27 nautical miles off Quang Ngai Province's Tri Ton Island of the Paracels, when they were surrounded by a fleet of 18 Chinese boats. The waters where the incident took place has been considered Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. The Chinese boats continuously forced him to drive his boat away, Trung was quoted by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper as saying. The Chinese forces filmed and photographed them as well, he said. Later a red boat twice crashed into the Vietnamese boat, causing VND100 million (US$4,689) in damages, according to the Tuoi Tre report. In March, Vietnam also said a Chinese ship fired flares at four Vietnamese fishing boats from Quang Ngai Province that were fishing in their traditional fishing grounds in the Paracels, a move Vietnam criticized as “inhumane and dangerous”. Over the years, hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen and their crews have fallen prey to China’s increasingly aggressive patrols around the disputed islands in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. China and four members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei – are embroiled in sovereignty disputes over the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. China illegally claims sovereignty over 80 percent of the East Sea.
3
The waters are thought to hold vast untapped reserves of oil and natural gas that could potentially place China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and other claimant nations alongside the likes of Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Qatar. In 1974, taking advantage of the withdrawal of the American troops from the Vietnam War, China invaded the Paracel Islands. A brief but bloody naval battle with the forces of the then US-backed Republic of Vietnam ensued. Vietnam’s behemoth northern neighbor has illegally occupied the islands ever since. But a post-1975 united Vietnam has never relinquished its ownership of the Paracel Islands and continues to keep military bases and other facilities on the Spratly Islands. Vietnam has also recently voiced its opposition to and dismissed China’s unilateral ban on fishing in the East Sea that is effective until August. Vietnam said the banned area encompasses its waters and violates its sovereignty over the Paracels. To make matter worse, in early this month, China sent one of its largest fishing fleets on record to the disputed Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands, a move analysts say that will inevitably deplete fish stocks further, affecting Southeast Asian littoral states that rely heavily on the same fisheries. By doing so, analysts say Beijing can dare others to try to expel Chinese fishing boats from one expanse while daring other nations' fishing boats to enter another expanse patrolled by Chinese vessels. "China will continue to creatively seek new ways to assert its claims commensurate with its increased presence in the area and widening power gap vis-a-vis the other claimants," said Ristian Supriyanto, a maritime expert with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. "Although these assertions are actually disregarded by the other claimants, they are enough to demonstrate Chinese resolve," Supriyanto told Thanh Nien News. The analysts say if China is not opposed by claimant states, its actions will lay the foundation to claim that littoral states have acquiesced and accepted China's territorial claim. By dispatching its own fishing fleet to one zone (the Spratlys) while forbidding others to fish in another (the Paracels), "China considers the case regarding the Paracels with Vietnam 'closed'," said Mark Valencia, a Hawaii-based expert on the dispute. Thanh Nien News
Background Briefing:
Vietnam: President Truong Tan
Sang Visits China
Carlyle A. Thayer
June 20, 2013
[client name deleted]
We seek your assessment on the state of Sino-Vietnam relations amid Vietnamese
President Truong Tan Sang's three-day state visit in China this week. Could you
please offer your assessment on the issues below:
Q1. Both sides have gone to war before and now have territorial disputes in the
South China Sea that have at times triggered diplomatic rows. Most recently,
Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung gave a speech in Singapore at the Shangrti-La
Dialogue that was seen as a hint of the country's displeasure or concern over China's
assertiveness in the South China Sea. But yet both sides have also recently made
pledges to boost cooperation and taken actions like setting up naval hotlines to
prevent conflicts. China and Vietnam have both played up the importance of Mr
Sang'svisit, which China has accorded with the highest honour on Wednesday,
replete with 21-gun salute and a lengthy 3-minute news item on prime-time TV. As
such, how would you describe the current Sino-Vietnam relationship, how does each
view the other, what are the reasons behind the current dynamics, and what are the
challenges or concerns each side faces/weighs in dealing with the other?
ANSWER: China and Vietnam maintain a dense web of party-to-party, state-to-state
and military-to-military relations. They both co-chair a Joint Steering Committee at
deputy prime minster level to oversee all aspects of their bilateral relations. The
most recent meeting, the sixth, was held in May. China and Vietnam also conduct a
strategic defence dialogue. The last meeting also was in May. Both meetings set the
stage for President Sang's visit. The 1979 border war is behind them. China and
Vietnam have demarcated their land border and the Gulf of Tonkin where there is a
joint fishing area. Both sides have also compartmentalized their South China Sea
dispute and prevented it from spilling over and negatively affecting their broader
and deeper comprehensive strategic partnership.
The Vietnam-China relationship is one of great asymmetry in terms of power.
President Sang's visit is a symbol of deference but it is also part of more or less
regular high-level exchanges. Nevertheless there are contentious issues and mutual
suspicions in their relations. Vietnam has a whopping US $13 billion trade deficit with
China. This cannot be overcome so Vietnam encourages stepped up Chinese
investment in Vietnam. Beijing is suspicious that Vietnam is encouraging the United
Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123
2
States to balance China. Vietnam is ever suspicious about Chinese influence in Vietnam and Chinese actions that challenge Vietnam's claims in the South China Sea.
Q2. How does the current Sino-Vietnam relationship compare with that between China and other Southeast Asian nations, especially the Philippines or those locked in South China Sea dispute with China? How has the Sino-Vietnam relationship changed over the years or recently, and why?
ANSWER: In 1999-2000 China signed separate long-term cooperative framework agreements with each of the ten members of ASEAN. There were differences among these various documents, especially on defence relations. These agreements served to structure bilateral relations. China-Vietnam bilateral relations have been upgraded from a strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership. As a result Vietnam and China have a dense web of bilateral relations that has withstood tensions over the South China Sea. The trajectory of Sino-Vietnam relations is shaped by geography; the two countries share a common land border and common waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. Vietnam is ever mindful of its past history with China and therefore tempers its response to Chinese actions.
Relations between China and the Philippines have altered markedly with the change from the Arroyo to the Aquino administration. Here, in contrast to Vietnam, China has used a mild form of economic sanctions to pressure Manila, such as temporarily halting the import of bananas and cancelling tourist group flights.
Q3. What kind of impact does the Sino-Vietnam relationship have on regional stability?
ANSWER: Stable Sino-Vietnamese relations contributes to regional stability. Vietnam’s own growing strategic weight in ASEAN adds ballast to Sino-Southeast Asian relations. Tensions between China and Vietnam shape the security environment in Southeast Asia and has resulted in pressures among ASEAN members to present a united front towards China.
Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Vietnam: President Truong Tan Sang Visits China,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, June 20, 2013. All background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer).
Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues to selected clients. It was officially registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.
Background Briefing:
Vietnam: Human Trafficking by
Chinese-Vietnamese Gangs
Carlyle A. Thayer
July 4, 2013
[client name deleted]
We request your assessment of this human trafficking story below. In particular we
would like your evaluation of why it could be on the rise.
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/11273/human-trafficking-on-the-rise-in-vn-policewarn
(story reprinted below).
ANSWER: The Tuoi Tre story has headlines saying that human trafficking is on the
rise while the text of the report does not provide evidence for this claim. The police
are quoted as stating that human trafficking is becoming increasingly complex and
international in nature. The collusion between Vietnamese and Chinese gangs is well
known. This has led to the Ministry of Public Security sending police to China to
cooperate in operations designed to rescue Vietnamese who have been trafficked. It
would appear that these joint efforts led to the rescue of 216 Vietnamese victims.
One reason for the persistence of human trafficking is that although the Vietnamese
government is credited with making significant efforts to combat human trafficking it
does not yet fully comply with the minimum international standards for the
elimination of trafficking, according to the 2013 U.S. Department of State Trafficking
in Persons Report. One key weakness in Vietnam’s anti-trafficking effort is the failure
of the government to take steps to identity vulnerable or high-risk persons in danger
of being trafficked such as women and children in poverty stricken areas.
Another weakness is Vietnam’s slowness in providing implementation measures to
accompany the Anti-Trafficking Law that was passed in 2012. Vietnam has continued
to rely on out of date laws that are not specific enough to deal with the complex
issues raised by human trafficking. For example, some trafficking cases are resolved
under Vietnam’s labour laws. These do not attract criminal penalties. Other
trafficking cases are dealt with under vague clauses in the Penal Law. Vietnam needs
to issue necessary decrees to implement its Anti-Trafficking Law, including listing
heavy penalties for traffickers. Vietnam also concentrates on trafficking for sexual
exploitation and gives less priority to cases involving trafficking for forced labour and
forced child labour in particular.
Despite Vietnam’s efforts to address human trafficking, where some progress has
been made, Vietnam has a long way to go to meet best international practices.
Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123
2
Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer,” Vietnam: Human Trafficking by Chinese-Vietnamese Gangs,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, July 4, 2013. All background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer).
Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues to selected clients. It was officially registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.
Human trafficking on the rise in Vietnam, police warn
Tuoi tre news
Updated : 07/03/2013 12:03 GMT + 7
Vietnamese police have warned that human trafficking in the country is becoming increasingly complex and international in nature.
>> 12 sentenced for trafficking women to China
The warning was released by the General Department for Crime Prevention and Control (GDCPC) at a conference jointly held by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Hanoi on July 2.
Colonel Le Van Chuong, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office on Drugs and Crimes, said that human traffickers mainly target women and children, who account for about 80 percent of the total number of victims of human trafficking.
However, human trafficking rings have also bought and sold men, newborns, unborn babies, and human organs, Chuong said, adding that they also operate hired pregnancy (giving hired birth) services.
According to the GDCPC’s statistics, more than 3,200 human trafficking cases have been uncovered in Vietnam since 2005, involving 5,600 traffickers and 7,000 victims.
3
GDCPC shared several noticeable cases to the conference’s delegates. Among these includes cases in which a number of Vietnamese colluded with Chinese thugs to raid houses in remote and isolated areas in Vietnam’s mountainous northern region to abduct children after killing their relatives.
In Ha Giang Province, for example, 115 such cases have occurred since 2007, and 142 children have been kidnapped. Seven people were killed and three others were injured in these cases.
Also worth noting are cases involving the selling of young Vietnamese women to China, South Korea and Taiwan through fake marriages.
In addition, rings that illegally send people from Vietnam to China for the sale of human organs have recently emerged.
There have also been cases in which human trafficking was carried out under the cover of labor export. In such cases, traffickers usually keep their victims’ passports while forcing them to do compulsory work or make them become victims of sexual abuse.
Last month, the southern Tay Ninh Province People’s Court gave sentences from three to 14 years in jail for 12 defendants who sold Vietnamese women to China as potential wives for Chinese men.
Of these defendants, Tu Sy Muoi, 59, received the heaviest sentence, 14 years in jail, while the others were sentenced from three years in suspension to 12 years in prison.
From 2011 to July 2012, these traffickers sold 20 young Vietnamese women to China, where Chinese men who wanted to buy the women as wives had to pay VND80-100 million ($4,800).
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