There are reports indicating that a significant number of young Rakhine women are being trafficked and forced into marriages with Chinese men in Yunnan Province, China.

On October 30, two women in their twenties, hailing from Sittwe and Kyaukpyu, were at risk of being sold as brides in Yunnan Province, China.

The Rakhine Social Association (Shweli) informed Narinjara that a total of six young Rakhine women including the aforementioned two, have been rescued from the harrowing situation of being sold as brides to China.

"On October 25th, the Rakhine broker from Muse Township brought two of them for employment, collaborating with a Shan broker from this side. They were locked in a room.

Later when they grew suspicious, they reached out to us for assistance. In truth they were being prepared for sale as brides to China, and their abductors took photos of them. Many individuals are being subjected to such exploitation. We acted proactively to preventing their sale, but it remains a challenging situation. There are numerous cases where individuals in mainland China, thousands of miles away, have fallen victim to these practices without their awareness," stated an official from the Rakhine Social Association (Shweli).

The majority of young Rakhine women who are at risk of being sold are typically aged between 17 and 29.

An official representing the Rakhine Social Association (Shweli) revealed that, in certain instances, family members themselves encourage teenage girls within the community with alluring incentives. Subsequently, they make contact with brokers in the Shweli (Ruili) Township, situated along the China-Myanmar border, to arrange for their sale.

"These teenage Rakhine women are vulnerable due to their lack of awareness, making them easy targets for brokers. This is why I observe brokers focusing on young girls within their own villages. Women who have been sold, primarily those between 15 and 19 years old from the community, have found that inside their own communities, there is been a failure to condemn this practice. Instead people from their own community entice them with incentives and the  positive aspects. In some instances, they collaborate with Rakhine brokers from Muse on the Myanmar border to facilitate these arrangements,” he said.

Regarding the women who have been sold, he emphasized his desire to prioritize support for young women who are at risk of being sold, especially those who may be unaware and primarily consider the incentives, as opposed to women who willingly choose to work or do so due to different circumstances.

On October 22nd, the Rakhine Social Association (Shweli) intervened to prevent the sale of two teenage female friends from Minbya Township, who were intended to be trafficked as brides to China to the Sin Phyu gate of Kyalgaung Township, situated along the China-Myanmar border, due to prior information from Muse.

Likewise, a teenage woman in Shweli (Ruili) Township managed to escape a near-trafficking situation where she was almost sold as a bride to China.

Furthermore, there have been reports of a teenage girl who was abandoned in Wan Tain Town, located approximately 5 miles from Shweli (Ruili) Township. This abandonment occurred because brokers were unable to sell her as a bride to China.

There are also reports of a significant number of individuals entering Kyalgaung, China from Shan State, Muse, at the China-Myanmar border by acquiring a green card (commonly known as a one-week travel permit card) for a fee of MMK 2,000.

According to an individual closely associated with the Chinese government, the selling of young women from various ethnic groups, including Rakhine women, as commodities, is driven by Myanmar brokers who force them to sell at low prices to the Chinese due to the brokers' greed and moral degradation. It is Important to note that this practice does not stem from weak Chinese laws, and it is not officially approved by China.

Regarding the issue of women being sold as brides to China, women between the ages of 18 and 25 can potentially earn 50,000- 70,000 Chinese yuan. However, brokers exploit this situation by falsely claiming that these women will only receive about a tenth of that amount, when they proceed to sell young Rakhine women, he explained.

Rakhine State, grappling with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflict, economic turmoil in the aftermath of the coup, and the recent devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha, has left the people of Rakhine facing dire economic hardships and a range of difficulties in their daily lives.

Women's rights activists highlight that the scarcity of local job opportunities and the impacts of poverty, are driving women from various ethnic groups in Rakhine State, including Rakhine women, to seek employment in neighboring countries such as mainland China and Middle Eastern nations.

The chairperson of the Rakhine Women's Initiative Organization explained,

"The primary cause behind this is poverty. When the community cannot provide the necessary conditions for livelihood, and when families struggle to make ends meet, young women feel compelled to seek economic opportunities. This drives them to consider taking up work and moving to places where such opportunities are more accessible. When people venture to neighboring countries, including China, often due to human trafficking and illegal labor, it's typically the younger women in the community, who lack a formal education. They may not thoroughly investigate the situation when connecting with brokers; the prospect of securing a job alone seems appealing. This vulnerability has led some of them into situations where they are sold. Some individuals realize the potential outcome of being sold, but they initially set out to work, only to find themselves in situations where they are coerced into selling their own bodies. It's primarily a result of the desire to avoid returning home empty-handed and the belief that selling their bodies is a way to escape poverty and secure financial resources. Furthermore, the community's traditional way of life is no longer sufficient to meet modern needs, which further exacerbates this situation."

Moreover, it's highlighted that simply raising awareness is not enough to combat these incidents. It's also pointed out that as long as sustainable job opportunities are not created for the impoverished villagers, the likelihood of such incidents repeating remains a concern.

"Primarily, awareness remains significantly lacking. On the other hand, there is a pressing need to disseminate information about human trafficking within the village and establish small-scale enterprises for women," she emphasized.

An official from the Rakhine Literature and Culture Association (Muse) disclosed that there are nearly 2,000 Rakhine individuals holding one-week cards, waiting to cross the border in Muse Township, Myanmar, along with those who are waiting to obtain a one-week card.

"There are 30-40 people residing in Rakhine eateries in Muse, with over 20 such establishments of this kind. Additionally, many individuals are staying in the homes of acquaintances, and some of them don't even have a proper place to sleep," he said.

At the moment, the Muse-Ruili border crossing on the China-Myanmar border has a limit of allowing only 600 people to enter. As of November 5, an official from the Humanitarian Assistance Network, which is assisting in the distribution of tokens, reported that nearly 6,000 people who intend to enter China from Myanmar have been issued tokens.

From 2013 to October 2023, nearly 200 individuals were sold in China, spanning in age from 17 to over 40 years old. According to the records of the Rakhine Social Association (Shweli), it is possible that many Rakhine women have been unknowingly sold in China.

We must sincerely hope that among those arriving from Myanmar, none will fall victim to being sold by unscrupulous brokers in China, and that those who perceive themselves as victims will not be part of this tragic situation.