In major operations the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police has succeeded in busting a ring of seven racketeers engaged in trafficking of women to foreign countries. They were nabbed while enticing Nepali women to go to foreign countries on false promises of a bright future. But these women are virtually sold, have to work in the entertainment industry and are sexually exploited and they also undergo labour exploitation.

These seven women traffickers were found to be working with foreign agents, establishing an international network of flesh trade and sexual exploitation. The traffickers worked as travel agents and under the guise of suppliers of cosmetics goods, floriculture businessmen, hoteliers and suppliers of computer parts and so on. The arrests were indeed a major breakthrough achieved by the CIB, throwing light on a new aspect of trafficking in Nepali women. The culprits were living luxurious lives and some of them had also invested in the entertainment industry in several countries. The women were trafficked to countries like Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya in Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, among others.

They were taken there with work permits or visit visas. Previously women used to be trafficked only to India but now many innocent women are being lured into going abroad by being promised highly paid jobs. They are taken there from Kathmandu and also through Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmadabad in India.

Most of the women trafficked, about 80 per cent of them, used to work in dance bars in Kathmandu. This matter should be pursued and taken up seriously for the victims number thousands. Such flesh trade involving women from Nepal is now a thriving business. The traffickers arrested are only a few and it is believed that there are many such agents operating without detection by resorting to various clandestine methods. Taking this into account, the government permits only women who are above 30 years old to work in the Gulf countries. This has so far not succeeded in doing away with the heinous crime as the traffickers find loopholes in the law to carry out their nefarious trade and also succeed in establishing a nexus with government employees such as airport immigration unit. Thorough probes should be conducted as to how young girls are being taken to foreign countries to work as sex slaves.

These days many women traffickers have set up marriage bureaus numbering around 80. Around 1,000 young women migrants were taken to South Korea in the year 2013, according to information made available by the National Human Rights Commission. Most of them have been taken there for sexual exploitation. It is high time these malpractices were dealt with head on. The law should be made sterner and its application equally so in order to stop the traffickers from succeeding in their abominable trade. Thus, it behooves on all concerned to take up this issue as a priority and carry out the necessary investigations to detect this despicable and evil activity and nip it in the bud. Constant vigilance is required to protect more Nepali women and girls from becoming victims.

Find out reasons

This year’s SLC examinations are taking place beginning today across the country where a total of 574,685 students will appear to cross the “iron gate” for higher studies. But there are some students who will be deprived of taking the exams due to their own negligence and the concerned schools. News from Ramechhap and Kanchanpur districts reveal 429 students will be deprived of this year’s SLC exams.

It is said that some of the students were barred from taking the exams as they failed to attend at least 75 per cent classes as required by the new education rules and others did not submit the forms along with the fees by mid-July. As per the new rules, the students do not have to sit for send-up exams but they are required to attend 75 per cent classes. The students are partly to blame for not being able to sit for the exams. The concerned schools should also have ensured on time that no students would be deprived of the exams. The concerned agency should find out why the students quit the classes, failed to attend the classes regularly and submit the forms on time.

Published on: 19 March 2015 | The Himalayan Times