Human traffickers have taken on a new pattern by exploiting male victims for labor work, a Thai government official said.

“Recently, we found out a new pattern of human trafficking. Male victims are trafficked to fishing boats and to seafood processing factories because this is where men are wanted for work,” said Napa Setthakorn of Thailand's social development and welfare agency.

Setthakorn was one of the presenters in a forum organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Mandaluyong City early this month.

“It’s very tough for men too because of the very bad condition especially the food in the factory,” Setthakorn said.

Human traffickers have also resorted to kidnapping their male victims, whether Thais or migrants, bound for fishing vessels and seafood processing plants.

She said traffickers befriend potential male victims who are looking for jobs. They invite them for a drink and after that the victim would later fall “unconscious and wake up in a different place.”

“This is like kidnapping too. Males are difficult to deceive that’s why they resort to that,” she explained.

According to the ILO, Thailand is a country of origin, transit and destination of victims of human trafficking often forced into prostitution and labor exploitation.

Setthakorn said that many men are trafficked to Malaysia or Indonesia.

Likewise, Thai women are trafficked to other countries such as Malaysia, Bahrain, and South Africa.

As transit area, Thailand is used by human trafficking groups to traffic Cambodians, Burmese, Chinese, Laotian, and Vietnamese to Malaysia for sexual exploitation. Thailand is also a destination area for trafficked migrants from Cambodia, Burma, China and Vietnam.

“This pattern became a spark for our ministry to look and consider this issue on how to solve this problem,” Setthakorn said.

Last year, the Thai government implemented a new law, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2008, which provides male victims with broader protection.

“The act would give a wider protection and assistance to men victims just like what is already being done for women victims,” she said.

Those found to be violating the law faces 4 to 15 years imprisonment and a fine of 80,000 to one million baht.

Trafficked victims will also be provided with comprehensive care under Thailand’s 11 main shelters. Food, medical care, psychosocial recovery, legal aid, life skills and vocational training, repatriation and reintegration are included in the shelters’ comprehensive care program.

Aside from the main shelters, Thailand has temporary shelters in all its 76 provinces and four shelters for the protection of male victims.

“I have 275 victims in the 11 main shelters mostly from the Mekong Subregion,” she said. Aside from Thailand, also parts of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) are Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

According to Setthakorn, the Thai government is putting its best effort to eliminate the problem by signing bilateral agreements between neighboring countries like Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.

“Cooperation between countries is very important to solve this problem. No [single] agency or country can solve this problem because it’s an international concern,” said Setthakorn.

Assistant Secretary Florita Villar of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said putting up a shelter for men in the Philippines is “doable.”

“It would really be dependent on the demand if there are more men coming out and needing assistance then there's a need for a shelter,” Villar said.

Villar headed ILO’s panel discussion on “Social Protection for Returned Victims of Trafficking.”

She explained that one need not go to a center because they can be helped by a worker in their own community or family.

“But, if there's a need for them to stay in the shelter or a center, we will find a way. Of course, we will need to study if there's a need at the moment,” Villar added.

At present, Villar admitted that the DSWD and other non-government organizations are all managing centers that accommodate women and children.

“Mas marami especially on the safety…they usually approach the government or local government or NGO for assistance for them to be accommodated if there is a need to secure their safety in a structured setting like a center. But others may be helped in their community. Hindi naman kawalan yan kung wala tayong center pwede pa din nating tulungan,” she said.

She explained that the DSWD have centers in Metro Manila and in other parts of the country.

“If they need to be secured, ‘yong safety nila, they can be admitted in the centers. But if their family will provide support and they can be accommodated and secured in their own home, then we also help them there,” said Villar.

Each center looks into the social, legal and medical needs of the victims who have endured traumatic experiences.

Traffic persons, she said, sometimes fall into the same hands of traffickers or other traffickers “thus psychosocial counseling, legal assistance and medical interventions are some of the key services to be able to help the victims-survivors recover and prepare them for economic empowerment activities.”