Asia urged to be harder on labor traffickers
Updated
The United States has urged Asian governments to impose harsher penalties on labor traffickers.
US envoy Mark Lagon says traffickers are being punished too lightly, with suspended sentences or fines.
The United Nations suggests sentences should be at least three to four years for human traffickers.
Allan Dow from the International Labour Organisation says authorities should also look at people who hire the victims of labour trafficking.
"If you run around trying to find the brokers or the transporters, if you focus just on them, well you will have some impact," he said.
"[However] you will miss a large part of the problem ... and a large part of the problem is employers who would take advantage of the vulnerability of an individual."
