Bitter fruit because of the dream of a foreign husband

(Baonghean) -Listening to sweet words that marrying a Chinese man will bring a happy life, many young girls in the mountainous district of Con Cuong did not hesitate to follow the footsteps of human traffickers and end up being sold. More heartbreakingly, many girls even "offer" themselves to be sold to marry foreign men for 20 million VND.

Recently, the situation of human trafficking, especially trafficking of women and girls in some districts of Western Nghe An has been painful, including Con Cuong district. Many human trafficking rings have been discovered and destroyed by the authorities. However, it is also heartbreaking that many women and girls, because of their gullibility and greed for a happy and luxurious life with the dream of marrying a foreign husband, have become victims of human trafficking criminals. The human trafficking ring led by Luong Thi Nhung (born 1988, Don Phuc commune, Con Cuong) was exposed, which is also the time when people can see more deeply the bitter fruit of the dream of a foreign husband for young girls in the mountainous region.

MTL (born in 1985, residing in Khe Tang village, Chieu Luu commune, Ky Son district) already had a husband and children, but when she met Luong Thi Noi, the story of marrying a Chinese man was brought up. Seeing that some people who married Chinese men brought home a lot of money, L became greedy and told Noi that she also wanted to marry a Chinese man but did not know anyone so she did not dare to go. Noi suddenly remembered Luong Thi Nhung, the niece of an aunt who often went to China, so Noi called L to talk to Nhung. MTL frankly asked, "If I go to China to get married, how much will you pay me?" When Nhung offered L 20 million VND "to raise a child", L agreed. After being taken to China through an illegal route, MTL was sold by Luong Thi Nhung to a Chinese man for 260,000 yuan (equivalent to 78 million VND). In this transaction, Luong Thi Noi received a "commission" of 2 million VND.

After nearly 3 months of being a wife in China, L realized that her "dream of a foreign husband" was not as happy as she thought. Not only could she not eat well, dress well, earn a lot of money to send home to her family, but she also had to work hard and eat poorly. After nearly 3 months of being sold as a wife in a foreign land, on January 18, 2011, L was lucky to escape back to Vietnam. Her dream of marrying a foreign husband to be happy, leisurely, and rich was shattered like a bubble. On the day the People's Court of Nghe An province brought the defendants, those who had sold her to China, to trial, L authorized her mother, Ms. VTP, to represent her. Ms. P confided: "After those difficult days in a foreign land, she still hasn't recovered. She told me to come down here to replace her and told me not to ask for compensation, she was very lucky to be able to return home."

Not as lucky as MTL, also because of the dream of marrying a foreigner, two girls Lo Thi Sai (born in 1992) and Lo Thi Thuy (born in 1996) do not know where they are drifting in the vast land of China with many illusory and unrealistic dreams. Speaking of Luong Thi Noi, after seeing that "matchmaking" to bring people to China is easy to make money, she eagerly went to find "prey". Meeting MT and Lo Thi Sai, Noi said: "Going to China to get married is very happy, do you two want to go? Go for 3 months and then come back". Hearing that, T and Sai agreed. Before that, Noi had persuaded Lo Thi Thuy (born in 1996), Lo Thi Sai's aunt. Noi connected her to Luong Thi Nhung, Sai personally negotiated. Nhung said she would pay each of them 20 million VND if they agreed to go to China to get married. Thinking that she was young and had some beauty, Sai thought that price was too cheap so she asked for 30 million VND. After a long haggling, Lo Thi Sai finally agreed to sell herself to China to seek her fortune for 25 million VND. All three young girls were taken to China by Nhung and sold for 260,000 yuan each (at the time of being sold, Lo Thi Thuy was not yet 16 years old). Keeping her promise, Nhung asked Noi to bring the victims' families the amount of money that had been agreed upon in advance.

Defendant Luong Thi Nhung.

After being sold as wives to Chinese men, the lucky ones are loved by their husbands' families, and although their lives are not rich or happy, they are not miserable. But in reality, most of the girls sold to China have tragic endings, living in humiliation and being tightly controlled. Only a few girls escape home and report to the authorities. Currently, Lo Thi Sai and Lo Thi Thuy are still in China, only MT escaped home and exposed the human trafficking ring led by Luong Thi Nhung.

According to the investigation of the authorities, from September 2010 to May 2012, the women and children trafficking ring directed and operated by Luong Thi Nhung successfully carried out 7 cases with 16 victims, including 5 children. With the strictness of the law, Luong Thi Nhung and her accomplices will have to suffer appropriate punishments for their crimes. However, where are the girls who sold themselves for the dream of a foreign husband like Lo Thi Sai and Lo Thi Thuy in a foreign land, amidst the anxious expectations of their relatives?

Article and photos: Dang Thanh Hoa (PC 81 - Nghe An Police)