TNAG-0664-FCO40-813-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 43

ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF SLAVERY AND INSTITUTIONS SIMILAR TO SLAVERY

THE

ANNEX

TRAFFIC IN PERSONS

THE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG

An urban councillor living in Hong Kong, Mrs E. Elliott, describing the nature and extent of the traffic in women in that city, states "There are no Chinese parents here who, having a daughter, do not live in constant fear of her abduction to be forced into prostitution." Ample support for this statement is contained in the following extract from a Hong Kong Police publication: TRIAD SOCIETIES IN HONG KONG 1974. The document is classified

'Restricted'.

Prostitution

Prostitution in itself is not illegal in Hong Kong. However it is the basis of a wide field of illegal activities within which there is an organised Triad presence. Their operations are mainly confined to nhe recruitment of young females into prostitution, the management and control of call-girl centres and the exploitation of individual prostitutes.

Prostitution

Recruitment

There is a constant demand in Hong Kong for young prostitutes and

Recruitment takes several many active Triad gangs pander to this need.

forms, ranging from the outright coercion of totally unwilling victims to the luring, cajoling and encouraging of young females into prostitution. There has been evidence of outright coercion by Triad gangs in several recent cases. Owing to present limitations of intelligence and precise

Suffice to say statistics in this field exact figures are unknown.

however that in 1973 T.S.B. alore dealt with some 148 young female victims of such practices, and between January and March 1974 a further

28 such female victims had come to notice.

In the

The methods used by the gangs follow a common pattern. first instance contact is made between the seller and the would-be buyer, who is usually the operaton or manager of a call-girl centre. The demands of the market and the related "urchase price are discussed. A fresh and attractive young female at present can be priced at anything up to $7,000, the amount being an advance by the buyer to the seller against the future camings from ignitution by the giml victim, girl herself receives little cut (A) the transaction. barrier to the trade in young Dam los and cases involving 15 and 16 year old girls have beer seconded, nominis tandl.g the low-

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