China's 'One Child Policy' was designed to curb an exploding population in 1980 with little thought given to the demographic impact this would have in the future. There have been many knock-on effects, including a huge gender imbalance. This in turn has made some Chinese men look to neighbouring countries, like Cambodia, in an effort to find a wife, fuelling an illicit market in what is known as 'bride trafficking'.

The organized criminal networks that run these trafficking routes often trick women and girls with promises, but trap them, restrict their movements, threaten them with violence, forcing them to marry men they have never met or can even communicate with.

Presenter: Thin Lei Win

Speakers:

Vireak Chhun, Independent Consultant and Researcher on Human Trafficking

Sean Sok Phay, Executive Director of Child Helpline Cambodia.

Thi Hoang, Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime and Managing Editor of Journal of Illicit Economies and Development.

Additional Links:

OCIndex.net

China country profile

Cambodia country profile

Vietnam country profile

Cambodia’s trafficked brides: The escalating phenomenon of forced marriage in China

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime