My Hong Kong | Hong Kong’s ‘selling piglets’ human-trafficking scandal shows how desperate the people of the city have become
- The ease with which many people became ‘sold piglets’, a term that dates back to the Qing dynasty, hints at a city in turmoil
- This might be alarmist but after reports of how some of the trafficked went on to con their own friends, I feel Hong Kong might be on the edge of a moral crisis
Hong Kong is still reeling from shock after finding out that many from the city have been lured to Southeast Asian countries on the false promises of lucrative jobs or romance, only then to be detained and forced to engage in criminal activities, mostly online scams.
When victims have refused to comply, they have either been beaten or held ransom. It has also been alleged that some have been sexually assaulted.
One Hong Kong man said his captors threatened to sell him to another syndicate in Cambodia if his “sales performance” did not improve.
Thankfully, many victims have been rescued after joint efforts carried out by Hong Kong police and their counterparts in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. But dozens are still being held against their will.
I have worked as a journalist for several decades, but this human-trafficking scandal is on a scale that I have never seen, nor imagined.
The local Chinese-language media have had a field day and have milked the story for all that it’s worth.
