Rising trade in human organs is alarming: IOM

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

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Perilous Times

Rising trade in human organs is alarming: IOM*

Reuters
Thursday, June 7, 2007; 8:58 AM

MANILA (Reuters) - The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
expressed alarm on Thursday over rising cases of trade in human organs
in Asia, and said globalization had increased risks of human trafficking.

Bruce Reed, IOM regional representative, said trafficking in persons for
sexual or labor exploitation and other purposes such as adoption, false
marriage and human organ donation was the third-largest international
criminal activity, behind drugs and arms smuggling.

"The profile (of those being trafficked) is constantly changing," Reed
told a seminar on human trafficking in Manila. "Women and girls are
being trafficked for non-sex work and cases of men and boys are also
being reported in the region."

Reed said many trafficking cases in Asia "end up in situations of forced
begging, delinquency, adoption, false marriage, or most recently, as
victims of the thriving trade in human organs."

He said trafficking for organs was on the rise in China and in many
impoverished states in Southeast Asia, like Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Although rising, the number of those being trafficked for organs was
dwarfed by those being smuggled for sex, Reed said, saying there was
constant demand from the entertainment and hospitality industry.

The IOM said there could be 30 million Asians living outside their
country, making them more susceptible to sexual and labor exploitation.

"Due to globalization, improved communications, more accessible travel
and high technology, people are traveling like never before,
substantially increasing the numbers of persons exposed to the influence
of traffickers and criminal networks," Reed said.