By Matters India Reporter
Hong Kong: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) has urged its member Churches and councils to make help combat human trafficking in their respective situations in the region.
The call was made on July 30 when the United Nations observes the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
“Many Asians experience the worst forms of cruelty in the modern slavery of human trafficking. This should be arrested in all possible ways by governments and systematic advocacy measures should be undertaken to protect the dignity of victims of human trafficking,” says CCA general secretary Mathews George Chunakara.
In terms of various types of trafficking outlined and identified by the UN, a vast number of people from several Asian countries experience vulnerable situations, especially sexual exploitation and forced labor, he added. Other forms vulnerability include forcing the trafficked to act as beggars, undertake fake marriages, work in construction sites and dangerous fishing industry, Chunakara explained.
The Indian Church leader said the Conference has organized Asia regional consultations annually since 2015 to sensitize Asian Churches to combat human trafficking. They were part of regional advocacy initiatives to sensitize Asian Churches to combat human trafficking.
The CCA will organize an inter-regional consultation on human trafficking with a focus on ‘Migration, Human Trafficking and Asian diaspora in the Arabian Gulf Region’ November 11-14 in Bangkok, Thailand, Chunakara announced.
Representatives of Asian diaspora churches in the Arabian Gulf countries would also attend the program.
The conference’s Asia Regional Consultation on “Rights and Dignity of Children: Church’s Response” scheduled for September 16-20 in Jakarta, Indonesia will also have sessions dealing with concerns related to trafficking of children, Chunakara added.