'Ma, I've Been Sold': The tragic stories of brides trafficked from Myanmar to China China Myanmar
MONGYAI, Myanmar - She did not know where she was. She did not speak the language. She was 16 years old.
These boys are now men, called bare branches because a shortage of wives could mean death to their family trees. At the height of the gender imbalance in 2004, 121 boys were born in China for every 100 girls, according to Chinese population figures."Bride trafficking is very common here in Shan state," said Zaw Min Tun, a member of the police anti-human-trafficking task force in Lashio, a town in northern Shan."But only a few people are really aware of the trafficking.
A neighbour, Daw San Kyi, promised them waitressing jobs on the border with China, through the connections of another villager, Daw Hnin Wai. Nyo, also now 17, refused to take any pills. Her memory is clearer but no less confusing. There were stops at guesthouses along the border and a story about the heavy rain closing the restaurant where they were supposed to work. There was a boat ride and more cars.
The city had lots of bright lights and escalators."The buildings were so tall that I couldn't see the tops," she said. Nyo wasn't sure where she had been taken in China, but she was determined to find out. At first, Gao Ji, her husband, also locked her in a room without any internet. He beat her, Nyo said.
The place was Xiangcheng County in Henan province. Located on China's central plains, Henan is one of the country's most populous provinces, with about 100 million people, double Myanmar's population. "I think he was rich," she said."Because otherwise he couldn't afford to buy a wife and have such a big house." In truth, it is poorer Chinese men who tend to buy trafficked women as wives. Still, even they must pay a lot. Nyo was sold for US$26,000 , said Myo Zaw Win, a police officer in Shan who tracked her case.
"The families of the husbands are mad about the case because they spent a lot of money but lost their wives," Niu said. The girls' home in Shan state, in the foothills of the Himalayas, has been torn by ethnic warfare for decades. With the Myanmar Army battling various ethnic militias and committing what the United Nations says are war crimes, peace and security are unknown commodities. Women and children are the most vulnerable to abuse.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
You're better at choosing a dog than a spouseBAD decisions are certainly a scourge - up there with bad luck as a factor blamed for debt, loveless marriages, general misery and poor health. There's hope, though. We might find a key to better decisions, and a happier life, in the echoing halls of an animal shelter. Read more at The Business Times.
Read more »
Rescue worker killed in attack on ambulance in northern Myanmar: ArmyYANGON: One rescue worker was killed and several others were wounded when an ambulance came under fire in northern Myanmar amid clashes between ...
Read more »
Daily Debrief: What Happened TodaySingapore July non-oil exports fall less sharply than previous 2 months at 11.2%, S-E Asia tech deals total US$6b in H1; more unicorns may emerge soon at
Read more »
Bangladesh eyes new Rohingya repatriation attempt next weekBangladesh and Myanmar are considering a fresh attempt next week to repatriate a few of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled a ...
Read more »
Amending Myanmar's charter: Minority parties aim to be heardMyanmar's Constitution is designed to forestall change without military approval, but that has not stopped the civilian government from trying. Predictably, this has raised tensions between ruling party National League for Democracy (NLD) and the military. Yet it has also exposed the rift between the ethnic Bamar-dominated NLD and ethnic minority parties, say analysts and politicians.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »