Neighbors believe girl was sold to China when she was only 9 years old

On April 4, Lieutenant Colonel To Van Hau, Head of the Investigation Police Agency of Ky Son District Police, said: The unit is temporarily detaining and completing procedures to prosecute the case and prosecute the accused Moong Van Long (born in 1973), residing in Khe Ty village, Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district and Lin Thi Tuyen (born in 1977), residing in Luu Tien village, Chieu Luu commune, Ky Son district for the act of Buying and selling children.

Around May 2009, Lin Thi Tuyen called Moong Van Long and asked him if he could find someone to go to China, he would get the money. Long agreed.

Subjects Lin Thi Tuyen and Moong Van Long. Photo: Bao Nguyen

In the village, there was a girl named Luong Thi L. (born in 2000) who had a difficult life. Her father died early and her mother got married and lived in China. Although she was adopted by a neighboring family, L. still longed to meet her biological mother.

Understanding this psychology, Moong Van Long approached and enticed the 9-year-old child to follow him to China to meet his mother. Trusting the man living in the same village, L. agreed without knowing that she was becoming a victim of human trafficking.

About 3 days later, Moong Van Long took L. to Chieu Luu commune, Ky Son district and handed her over to Lin Thi Tuyen. Tuyen took L. to Mong Cai city, Quang Ninh province and illegally crossed the border to China. The two went to live at the house of a woman named Ly (from Ky Son, married and living in China).

Here, Ly gave Tuyen 25 million VND (after deducting travel expenses). After receiving the above amount, Tuyen returned to Vietnam and gave Long 20 million VND, the remaining amount, Tuyen kept and spent for personal use.

L. stayed at a woman named Ly's house for a while and was sold by the woman to a Chinese man as his wife. Too scared, L. resisted and was mercilessly beaten by the woman named Ly and the Chinese man.

Faced with a "storm" of beatings, Luong Thi L. (then only 9 years old) had to accept being the wife of a man the same age as her father and uncle in bitterness and humiliation. In early 2019, taking advantage of a loophole from her husband's family, L. fled back to Vietnam to file a complaint against the law-breaking acts of the subjects to the police.