The Asia Pacific region is thought to have the highest incidence of modern slavery in the world today. Between 2002 and 2019, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) documented 17,171 trafficked persons from the Asia Pacific region, or 35% of IOM’s worldwide caseload during this period. The total number though is thought to be much higher: nearly 60% of the world’s 50 million estimated ‘modern-day slaves’ come from this area.
Given this assumed prevalence, one would think a lot of people in the region would be talking about it. Especially the millions of people affected by it. But ‘survivor leaders’ from this region are rarely heard speaking up to influence government policies.
Still a taboo
In China, modern slavery is an unfamiliar term which most people associate with ‘traditional’ slavery, a phenomenon they believe ended long ago. The more frequently used terms are ‘child labour’ (童工) and ‘human trafficking’ (拐卖人口),but they remain largely taboo in public discourse due to their political sensitivity.
