'Efforts to stop human trafficking better in Nepal'

Altough the country doesn’t fully comply with minimum standards for eliminating trafficking, Nepal’s efforts to tackle human trafficking have improved, said a US report released on Monday.

Updated on: Jun 29, 2011, 24:26:52 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Altough the country doesn’t fully comply with minimum standards for eliminating trafficking, Nepal’s efforts to tackle human trafficking have improved, said a US report released on Monday.

Establishment of a special unit to investigate trafficking and increase in financial support for protection services in Nepal and abroad are mentioned as positive developments the 11th annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.

Released in Washington DC by secretary of state Hillary Clinton, it however cites lack of pro-active victim identification as a "persistent serious problem".

Recommendations in the TIP report included increased law enforcement efforts to end all types of trafficking, action against officials involved, establishment of procedure to identify victims and refer them to protection homes and promotion of legal awareness programmes.

Nepal’s Charimaya Tamang, a trafficking survivor involved in protecting rights of others like her was among the 10 TIP Heroes from around the world awarded by Clinton for their efforts at ending human trafficking.

Trafficked to an Indian brothel when she was 16, Charimaya spent 22 months there before being rescued in 1996. Four years later she founded Shakti Samuha to help trafficking survivors.

She was the first trafficking survivor to file a case against her traffickers and get eight offenders convicted. These days she is a member of Nepal’s National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking.

Every year thousands of girls, boys and young women from Nepal are trafficked into India and also to countries in Gulf and Middle East where they end up in brothels or as domestic slaves.

US supports various efforts at reducing trafficking in Nepal including a five-year project to improve protection services for trafficking survivors and capacity building of law enforcement agencies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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