Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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US Congressman Calls for Tougher Laws against Human Trafficking
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=C29EEC:2AB91D3

Republican Chris Smith wants UN to take action to prevent sexual
exploitation by international peacekeepers An influential U.S.
congressman is proposing legislation that would require the United
States to take stronger action to combat human trafficking. Republican
Congressman Chris Smith says the legislation is designed, among other
things, to put pressure on the United Nations to ensure that the world
body take action to prevent and punish human trafficking and sexual
exploitation by international peacekeepers.

In his 24 years as a federal lawmaker, Congressman Chris Smith of New
Jersey has become known as perhaps the strongest campaigner against
human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the House of
Representatives.

During a visit to VOA headquarters in Washington Friday, Mr. Smith
called human trafficking a form of modern-day slavery, which he said
is only now beginning to receive the recognition it deserves. "Whether
it be the Russian Mafia, the Ukrainian Mafia, or Mafias in the United
States, they have linked together in this nefarious enterprise that
has subjugated tens of thousands of women here in the U.S. and
literally millions throughout the world," he said.

Mr. Smith is seeking to reauthorize and update the nation's first law
against human trafficking, which he had the lead role in sponsoring
five years ago.

The bill would require international bodies such as NATO or the United
Nations to assure the U.S. government that they have taken measures
against human trafficking or sexual exploitation by peacekeepers
before the State Department can endorse a peacekeeping mission. Mr.
Smith spoke about allegations of sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers in
the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. "We know that deployments of
peacekeepers under any banner had from time to time been involved in
rape and prostitution and trafficking, but nowhere did it become so
horrible, horrific than in the Congo where there were hundreds of
reports of young girls as young as 9, 10, 12, 13, given a piece of
bread or perhaps a dollar for sex," he said.

The new legislation would also make it easier to prosecute U.S.
government employees or military personnel who engage in human
trafficking.

Congressman Smith addressed other human rights issues around the
world. He criticized, among other things, China's policies in Tibet
and its one-child policy, which he said violates the rights of Chinese
women. Mr. Smith described China as the biggest human rights abuser in
the world today.


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