App from NGO the Mekong Club being used to fight human trafficking

A Hong Kong anti-slavery group is hoping technology can help tackle human trafficking in the region, as its new smartphone app is already being used by police and NGO workers across Southeast Asia to communicate with potential victims.

The Mekong Club, a non-profit organisation that aims to harness the skills of the private sector to combat human trafficking, teamed up with Sha Tin-based app designer MotherApp to build the programme.

"The goal of this tool is to demonstrate that technology solutions can be identified, tested and used to help address the human trafficking problem," said Matthew Friedman, head of the Mekong Club.

Key features of the app are prerecorded video questions in four languages - Thai, Burmese, Lao and Khmer - that cover details such as whether the person has had their passport taken from them, what sort of conditions they live in, if they are entitled to days off and if they are paid.

The app was tested by police and NGO workers in Thailand last July in four areas: Bangkok and nearby Samut Sakhon, Chiang Mai in the north and Songkhla in the south near the border with Malaysia.

It aims to address the language barriers faced by anti-trafficking and marine police officers, staff from special investigations departments and local NGOs when they first come across possible victims.