Child Trafficking : A Case Study of Child Trafficking from Myanmar Laos, and Cambodia

Abstract

This article aims to explain the child trafficking with 3 objectives: 1) to conduct a comparative study of the conditions that encourage and support girls and boys from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos involving child trafficking; 2) to study forms and methods of the trafficking of children from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, and 3) to study an approach to formulate mechanisms to prevent and tackle this child trafficking problem. This research is qualitative research methods, including document survey, in-depth interviews, and participant observation were employed. The study found that several causes of the child trafficking are poverty of families. The patterns of child trafficking found were mainly in the form of sex trafficking, forced labor, trafficking in fishery industry, and being forced to beg for money. The methods in which the victims were trafficked were abducting them from their homes, having recruiting dealers for child trafficking, and voluntarily involving child trafficking. The approach to formulate mechanisms to prevent and tackle this child trafficking problem is that Thailand should impose highly strict law enforcement and enforce greater penalties to prevent child trafficking in the long run.