Prostitution, human trafficking thrive as a lucrative immorality / The Japan Times, 9 Feb 2005

The Japan Times Online: "The countries making up the South Asia region support about one-quarter of the planet's population, with a large number of people unemployed and living below the poverty line. This socioeconomic situation has helped increase social crimes especially like human trafficking, especially of women and children. The ratio of human trafficking is high in this region, with girls kidnapped from Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and trafficked to mostly Gulf States, where there is a bevy of rich clientele."