The Catholic Church has expressed concerns over human trafficking in Shan state during a seminar for youths, catechists and Religious earlier this month.

Father Christopher Raj, director of Karuna Lashio Social Service, said his organization has documented several cases of trafficking of young women outside the country.

“We want to give youths the awareness and knowledge about human trafficking so that they can protect themselves.”

The seminar, held on September 7 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lashio, was attended by 48 people including Bishop Philip Lasap Za Hawng of Lashio diocese and Karuna staff, among others.

A police official from Lashio in charge of anti-human trafficking efforts in the region addressed the seminar to educate young women how to protect themselves and illustrate how traffickers find their victims.

Ma Naing, who attended the seminar, said that poverty in Shan state has often led people to seek employment as migrant workers without thinking of the dangers involved.

The US state department’s Trafficking in Persons 2011 report lists Myanmar among tier 3 countries, the worst ranking possible in terms of anti-trafficking performance.