Many young girls in a remote commune in central Nghe An Province are victimised by human traffickers upon leaving hometown to escape poverty.
Chau Thon Commune in Nghe An Province
Chau Thon Commune is home to 645 families, most are of the Thai ethnic minority and 65% of them are low-income. Some villages in the commune have almost no girls.
Vi Van Chin, Chairman of Chau Thon Commune's People Committee said, "They are mostly farmers and have only two crops a year. This means they have a lot of idle time while the cost of living is high for them. The young girls often leave the hometown to find work in other provinces."
Chau Thon Commune's authorities have opened vocational courses, but many girls, some as young as 14 years old, still prefer to leave town to find a better life.
Though some of them have been rescued from the sex trade, many still do not want to return to their homes.
Vi Van Hoan, a local, has a daughter who passed away and a son-in-law who is in jail. Out of six grandchildren that Hoan has raised for many years, three girls were sold into prostitution rings.
"H. is already married and lives with her husband. T. is working in China, I heard she's married too. And P. is working in Vinh City but I don't know what she does. She still sends me money regularly." Hoan said, unaware of the real situation.
Loc T. H., a 16 year old girl, was sold into the sex trade twice. Luckily for her she was rescued by police and returned home.
While many households in Chau Thon lose their daughters, most parents seem to be oblivious as to what they are really doing.
Vi Van Hoan and his wife
Loc T.H (right) was sold twice
