Two days International conference was organized in Yangon, Myanmar on 24 & 25^th January 2020 to discuss on how the church can engage effectively in addressing the most heinous crime against humanity. The Conference brought together the different church agencies like Santa Marta Group, Caritas Internationalis, International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), Section on Migrants and Refugees from Dicastery on Integral Development to discuss and plan how we can better fight against trafficking in persons and do it in cooperation with different stakeholders. For Caritas Asia it was a great platform to share the work at international level with other sister organizations.

The conference began with the opening mass by Most Rev. Lumen Monteiro, Bishop of Agartala, Chairman of Caritas India along with His Eminence Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, from Yangon and His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of Santa Marta Group. Cardinal Vincent Nichols in his keynote address said that, “we need to give first place to victim. Our approach should be victim centric and keep the victim at the heart of all our intervention because victim bears the mind of Christ.” He added that the work against trafficking must be carried forward in partnership and that’s why we are here to build the partnership among Church agencies.

The root causes for unsafe migration and trafficking is extreme poverty, lack of birth certificate and other important document, business which looks at only profit and the demand side, said Mgs. Robert Vitillo. There are also other causes like conflicts which make people vulnerable to leave their country and land.

The Social Welfare Minister from Myanmar presented that they have singed MoU between Thailand and Myanmar to prevent unsafe migration and labour exploitation. The work by the government was much appreciated by all.

International Organisation for Migration called the Church to focus on evidence collecting, strategy and coordination and improving the programs that are implemented. The Church can engage with international law enforcement agencies to combat human trafficking.

Caritas India had an opportunity to present the work against human trafficking at the conference focusing on trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced marriage. Ms. Leeza shared that Caritas India is working at the Indo Nepal border with international as well as internal trafficking in persons and unsafe migration. In the last one year 62 girls have been provided with short stay at the transit home located in Nepalganj, Nepal. Caritas India works very closely with Sahastra Seema Bal (border force), local police and Non-Government Organizations. An Indo Nepal Cross Border Forum has been initiated to bring the different stakeholders to strengthen the rescue, referral and repatriation process.

The conference provided the platform for Caritas Asia team to come together and discuss their plan of action. Caritas South Asia region got together along with Asia coordinator and discussed to strengthen the coordination between the countries of South Asia. It was planned that have a meeting in the month of February on Nepal to take the process forward. Ms. Leeza from Caritas India will lead along with focal persons from Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The key action points that came out of the conference were-

• Putting people at the center in all of our work against human trafficking.
• For Bishop conferences to encounter with the victims, collate and distribute the stories and evidence from grassroots.
• Advocating to government for proper implementation for migration and ani trafficking laws and international convention on human trafficking. Ensuring our employment and business practices are free from any forms of exploitation.
• Bishops Conference in Asia to actively engaging in various regional mechanism to prioritize human trafficking and safe migration in the region.

The words of Cardinal inspired me and made me to reflect when he said that the, “Drug trafficking is used only once but trafficked person is used again and again and again.”

The conference also invited us to look at our own ways of purchasing and use of things in our day todays life. How can we prevent human trafficking by taking a small step?  “The truth is, slavery touches the lives of most of us in this room every day through the supply chains of the goods and services we purchase. Do you own a phone or a computer? Clothing? Shoes? Do you drink coffee or tea? Do you wear jewellery or makeup? Do you buy seafood, pet food, meat, fruit, and vegetables or eat fast food? You and I cannot deny that we benefit from the exploitation of other human beings largely because they are invisible to us.” (John McCarthy Chair Sydney Archdiocesan Anti-Slavery Taskforce)

“You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.”

(William Wilberforce)