AAT Flash News N⁰6 23 ethnic minority children are safely repatriated home in Vietnam
All 23 children are now repatriated home after the C45 police unit rescued them in midSeptember 2011. Thanks to Blue Dragon, a NGO in Vietnam who initiated their action in rescuing these children, the 23 children were safe after several months torture in a garment factory. These children, 11 – 19 years old, travelled from Tuan Giao district, the rural area in Dien Bien province to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), a fast-growing city in the country with a promise of well-paid job. But they all ended up in slavery situation. They were forced to work for 15 hours per day with verbally and physically harmed in a garment factory. During the 9 days since C45 contacted AAT to request assistance for the children, they had stayed in the Center for Helping Women and Children in Difficulties, AAT and Women’s Union HCMC shelter for rehabilitation. They had been through medical and psychological treatment. AAT also contacted another NGO in HCMC to request them to receive and support the boy victims.
They are all now back into their communities. Blue Dragon and concerned agencies provide further assistance to the children and families in order that they will stay there sustainably. Thanks to its illustrated dedication to support and protect disadvantaged people, AAT has continued to help bridging governmental and non governmental agencies and their resources to support vulnerable population. Child labour has been problematic in Vietnam for quite a longtime. However, the Vietnamese government has tried to tackle this dilemma to raise awareness to prevent the problem of labor exploitation in children, with the support from international organizations such as: UNICEF, ILO and INGOs.