Torture in [Tonga] [other countries]
Human Trafficking in [Tonga Street Children in [Tonga] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Tonga] [other countries] |
Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery In the early
years of the 21st Century gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Tonga.htm
Scope and Magnitude.[2008] There were no
confirmed reports that persons were trafficked to, from, or within the
country. However, a public health facility identified 14 minors engaged in
commercial sexual exploitation during the year and there were other isolated
reports of women and underage girls in commercial sexual exploitation. There
were reports that members of foreign fishing vessel crews solicited Tongan
underage girls for commercial sex. There were unsubstantiated reports of
employers holding travel documents or salaries as a means to compel labor and
restrain Philippine nationals working in Tonga. There were also unconfirmed
reports that some nationals from the People’s Republic of China working
legally and illegally in Tonga may have been coerced into prostitution or
forced labor. - U.S. State Dept
Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2008 [full country report] |
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CAUTION:
The following links have been culled from
the web to illuminate the situation in Tonga.
Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that
are unsubstantiated or even false. No
attempt has been made to verify their authenticity or to validate their
content. ***
ARCHIVES *** The Department of Labor’s 2006 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor [PDF] U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau of International
Labor Affairs, 2007 www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft/PDF/2006OCFTreport.pdf [accessed 31 December 2010] [page 420] INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - There are no
reports of child labor existing in the formal or informal economy. During
2006, there were increased reports of workers on foreign fishing vessels
soliciting underage girls for prostitution. CHILD LABOR LAWS AND
ENFORCEMENT
- Tonga does not have legislation setting the minimum age for work. The law
prohibits slavery, which can be interpreted to include forced or bonded
labor. The owning and/or operating of a brothel, pimping, and soliciting in a
public place are all prohibited by the law. Penalties for offenses range from
imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years. The law also prohibits any person from
assaulting a child in an indecent manner, abducting girls, and procuring or
attempting to procure any girl under the age of 21 for trafficking for
prostitution. The maximum punishment for these offenses is imprisonment for
up to 5 years. There is no military conscription in Tonga. Human Rights
Reports » 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78793.htm [accessed 31 December 2010] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– While the law does not specifically address trafficking in persons,
violators could be prosecuted under antislavery statutes. There were no
reports that persons were trafficked to, from, or within the country. Former Human Trafficking Victim Speaks Out KGMB CBS 9 News - May 3rd 2008 www.ginsc.net/main.php?option=view_article&mode=0&article=5769&lang=ge [accessed 9 January 2011] HAWAII - This young
Tongan named Francis came here in 2001, Lueleni Maka promised him $240 a week. He was paid only $20. "I ask him about the rest of my money.
Said he sent em back to my family, so I called my
parents and they said they never get nothing from
him," said former victim Francis. Maka told Francis he
would turn him into immigration if he tried to escape the pig farm he stayed
at. "He make
me afraid of him. He hit me a couple of times. yeah.
metal frames, I get scars on my back from him. Get
guys they worse than me. He beat 'em up till blood coming out their mouth and nose. it's very sad. We cannot do nothing.
we so scared of him," Francis said. Freedom House
Country Report - Political Rights: 5 Civil Liberties: 3 Status: Partly Free 2009 Edition www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2009/tonga [accessed 28 June 2012] All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT
ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Patt,
Prof. Martin, "Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery - |
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Torture in [Tonga] [other countries]
Human Trafficking in [Tonga Street Children in [Tonga] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Tonga] [other countries]