TRAFCORD (Anti-Trafficking Coordination Unit Northern Thailand)

Vision

Network coordination and service center to professionally and efficiently solve problems of human trafficking in the north of Thailand

Multidisciplinary team

Coordination of team of experts from several disciplines including law enforcement, legal, social welfare and forensic medicine working together as a team to

• Receive reports of abuse and trafficking
• Fact finding missions
• Interventions and rescues
• Medical,/Psychological/Social welfare
• Shelter and recovery
• Social Reintegration and repatriation
• Prevention

Background

TRAFCORD was established in August 2002 in cooperation with the Coordination Center for Protection of Child and Woman Rights Chiang mai (CPCWRC). The overall goal of both organizations is to protect the rights of women and children. The north of Thailand, particularly the borders with Myanmar and Loas and nearby border with China, was seeing a marked rise in cases involving the trafficking of children and women from the Mekong region. Thailand became a country of origin, of transit and of destination for victims of human trafficking and an urgent solution to this critical problem was required.

TRAFCORD

The Anti-Trafficking Coordination Unit (TRAFCORD) was set up in response to the problem of human trafficking in upper Northern Thailand. The unit acts as a coordination centre between government and non-government agencies active in solving problems of human trafficking.

The programme has been kindly sponsored by the Asia Foundation, USAID, UNICEF and the U.S. Embassy.

Currently, the National Social Welfare Promotion Committee has certified TRAFCORD as a coordinating unit performed the role of anti human trafficking in the Upper Northern Region of Thailand. TRAFCORD is registered as Public Benefit Organization under registration number 1020. The certification was in accordance with the National Social Welfare Promotion Law on the year of 2003; the registration was made on November 20th, 2003.

TRAFCORD is now in the process of also registering as a charity foundation.

Objectives

1. To provide coordination between government and private sector agencies in rescuing human trafficking victims
2. To provide human trafficking victims with social welfare and legal advice
3. To strengthen the capacity of the multidisciplinary network by providing training and improving operational skills.
4. To raise awareness on human trafficking issues and women and child abuse among the general public and concerned agencies

Target groups

         1.  Trafficked Persons in Thailand, irrespective of race or legal status, particularly women and children, forced or deceived into exploitative and abusive labour situations, particularly in the sex industry
         2.  Thai nationals, foreign nationals and stateless persons residing in Thailand who become victims of human trafficking in foreign countries.
         3.  Children who have been abused physically, sexually and/or psychologically.
         4.  Children who are particularly vulnerable to abuse due to the fact that they are marginalized and excluded from national development process.

Areas of responsibilities

9 Provinces in  Northern Thailand as follows. Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai , Phayao, Lampang,Phrae, Nan and Tak.

Our successes

Case Reporting

                                    
Now TRAFCORD has opened a 24 hour hotline service and a website to receive reports from the government, private sector, volunteers and the general public.

Working procedure

Operational procedures in providing assistance and protection

TRAFCORD receives reports on women and child abuse from concerned networked agencies and the general public. TRAFCORD sends investigators to check and verify the facts of each report.

TRAFCORD coordinates closely with a multi-disciplinary team composed of police, government social welfare officers, medical personnel, legal experts and members of non-governmental organizations working with child and women issues. This team holds regular case conferences to provide coordinated assistance to victims.

TRAFCORD advocates bringing the full provisions of the law to provide protection and  assistance to victims while suppressing and punishing individuals and networks who abuse women and children. This includes taking full advantage of recent laws such as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act B.E 2551 (2008) as well as Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) signed between Thai government and non-government agencies and MOUs signed between Thailand and neighbouring countries in order to improve procedures for providing protection and assistance to victims of human trafficking.

Recently TRAFCORD has also been active in helping Thai victims who have been trafficked into Malaysia and assistance to victims of organized begging in Chiangmai City. Additionally TRAFCORD is also following up cases of victims of abuse among domestic maids and small-scale sweatshops.

Monitoring and Surveillance

TRAFCORD is active monitoring and providing surveillance on high risk areas where human trafficking is likely to be found for example entertainment establishments with female and male sex workers, for forced immigrant labour and areas of recruitment for trafficking to foreign countries such as Japan and Malaysia.

Social Welfare

TRAFCORD provides the victims, and in some cases their families also, with medical and psychological assistance, therapy and counseling to help them recover and overcome their trauma, shelter and protection, skills training, family tracing and other services to help victims return home and reintegrate into their communities.

Legal Aid

TRAFCORD provides legal aid and counseling for victims to help them redress the wrongs done against them and ensure that their abusers are punished. TRAFCORD also helps victims to seek compensation for their suffering and other damages through civil law suits. Another preventive measure is the confiscation of traffickers’ property under the Anti Money Laundering Act.

Preventive measures

An important part of the TRAFCORD programme is setting up and strengthening networks of individuals and agencies on the regional, provincial, district, sub-district and village levels in order to prevent new victims being caught in the net of human trafficking by setting up safeguard and surveillance measures at the local level. TRAFCORD provides training for community leaders, students and the general public in nine provinces in upper northern Thailand. A pilot community project was also set up to safeguard women and children from trafficking in Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son.

Public Relations

TRAFCORD use a wide variety of means and media to reach all sectors of the population and to communicate within and between networks. These include the following:

1)   Website www.trafcord.org
The website is an easily source for information, editorials, activities concerned with human trafficking and relevant laws as well as an online call centre, recruitment for volunteers and a hub for government and non-government agencies to interact.

2.   Human Trafficking Centre
Books, articles, databases and manuals on Human Trafficking are available at the Human Trafficking Information Centre for research and loan.  

3.  PR Campaigns and Media
A wide range of media are available for use in campaigns to raise awareness on human trafficking issues. Interested individuals and agencies are welcome to contact the TRAFCORD Media Section.

A Collection of TRAFCORD Achievements

Successful Legal Action
TRAFCORD advocates for the use of the full provisions of the law against offenders to cut the cycle of human trafficking and reintegrate and compensate victims

Successful social welfare
TRAFCORD successful missions end when victims are able to return to their communities and care for themselves. A is one TRAFCORD’s first cases, she now works in a department store. B is now a vocational school student.

Training course for “at risk” groups
TRAFCORD organized 8 community projects to train “at risk” groups in Ban Mae
Kor, Doi Saket, Chiangmai

Campaign against human trafficking
TRAFCORD along with 8 other network organizations held campaign events, including street theatre and parades to inform the general public of current human trafficking problems

Summary of Criminal Cases in which TRAFCORD and the multi-disciplinary teams played key roles

                        

Charity Donations to TRAFCORD

Interested individuals and agencies are welcome to make donations fund TRAFCORD activities to help children and women who are victims of abuse and trafficking.
Donations may be made in several ways:

         1.Transfer to the TRAFCORD bank account:
             Bank:
             Branch:
             Account Name
             Account Number:

         2. Donations in person to:
             TRAFCORD/CPCRC Office
              5th Floor, Chiangmai Provincial Hall, Chotana Road, Chang Puak, Muang, Chiangmai 50300, Thailand

         3. Donation Boxes in TOT Offices and Shopping Malls in Chiangmai, Chiangrai, Lamphun, Lampang, Mae Hong Son, Phrae,  
             Nan, Payao and Tak provinces.

Please help us to help relieve the suffering of children and women.    

Contact Numbers for further information:

Offices of Social Development and Human Security in the 9 provinces
Chiang Mai            <66>53-112643-4
Nan                          <66>54-773041
Phrae                      <66>54-511572-3
Chiang Rai             <66>53-715984
Phayao                   <66>54-449657
Lamphun                <66>53-511188
Tak                          <66>55-511452
Lampang               <66>54-265039
Mae Hong Son    <66>53-611261

Contact Numbers for reporting cases of human trafficking:

Phachabodi  Hotline Center 1300 (Ministry of Social Development and Human Security)

Child, Juvenile and Women’s Welfare Unit Investigation Center, Provincial Police Region 5    Tel. <66>53-280114