RIHLA #9

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The article "In Cambodia, Anti-Slavery reforms questioned" is about human trafficking from Cambodia into Malaysia. Human trafficking is considered to be the modern day form of slavery. Many people are trafficked from their home country to another country to work in domestic labor, like sweat shops, or even sex slavery.

Many of the people involved in human trafficking are usually women. Women who work in domestic labor are "drawn by the prospect of a better life and the promise of more money" by recruiting labor agencies, but end up being treated cruelly, and they're not able to leave. Additionally, many of these recruitment agencies forge identification in order to recruit children and charge "excessive recruitment fees".

The Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a law banning the practice of sending domestic workers to Malaysia, but there hasn't been any noticeable changes. Malaysia's ministries of labor and interior "are not taking any action," because "many officials and familial members of some ministers actually own these dubious agencies."

Sex slavery is another growing concern in Cambodia and a source/destination for human trafficking. Girls as young as 4 are taken from their homes and are sold into sex slavery. The police are part of the problem because they often beat the young girls and women, demand bribes, steal from them, and even rape them. The country had passed a law meant to protect sex workers, but rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch, say there is "little evidence that this has happened, or that prosecutions for trafficking have been pursued.

This reminds me a lot about what's going on with the Dalits in India. It's sad to think that people's right's are taken so easily from them, and how there's still a modern day form of slavery.

Article:
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/11/in-cambodia-anti-slavery-reforms-questioned/

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In Q2, I want to participate in class more than I did in Q1. Additionally, I want to take advantage of more encore opportunities because there's always room for improvement.

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