Through media stories, the problems of sex slavery and human trafficking of Vietnamese nationals to places like Cambodia have been exposed to the general public, but organizers of the 2nd Annual Anti-Human Trafficking Conference note it is also happening in California. And with more Vietnamese people living in Orange County than any other place outside of Vietnam, Vietnamese leaders in Orange County, California see the need to take an active role in ensuring that the trafficking of Vietnamese people to the US and abroad is eradicated.
Organizers hope to increase awareness and rescue of trafficking victims through the conference symposiums, which are free and open to the public. “We can’t do enough of this education—human trafficking of Vietnamese and other ethnic populations is a huge problem,” said Van Le, Program Manager for VietACT. “Everybody benefits from conferences like this whether you’re a human rights leader, media person, law enforcement officer, student, or community leader, you will take away new information that will help save lives,” she continued. Each symposium will collect community input on action steps to take next in the battle against trafficking in persons in California and in Vietnam.
“We are really excited to see the Vietnamese community organize against human trafficking.” exclaimed Tommy Calvert, Jr., outreach specialist for the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force. “And it is important for all anti-slavery activists to support them because they understand how victims in their community are being exploited better than anyone else. By partnering with each other, we can increase leads to identifying victims and get them back on their feet.”
For more information please contact: Van Le at 720-934-3914 or vanle@vietact.org