Australia pledges $55m for Asean

Australia pledged US$55 million to fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia yesterday, vowing to tackle “modern slavery” ensnaring vulnerable populations across the region, from low-paid workers to underage brides and Rohingya refugees.

The funding is part of a 10-year scheme that includes training for police and judges to probe criminal networks, Australia’s foreign affairs minister Marise Payne said at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting in Bangkok.

“The initiative will also support joint international investigations to help rescue victims and ensure traffickers are charged,” she said.

Rising demand for cheap labour, especially in the fishing and construction industries, has spurred trafficking networks across Southeast Asia where porous borders allow for the easy movement of people.

China’s thirst for brides from the Mekong region has also fuelled an illicit trade of mostly young women, thanks to Beijing’s decades-long one-child policy and preference for boys. The persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s restive Rakhine state is also prompting new and dangerous networks to form.

Payne highlighted the Rohingya’s plight yesterday. “We are also concerned by the situation in Rakhine State. We’re committed to working with Myanmar, with Bangladesh, with Asean, and other partners towards a long term and durable solution,” she said.