(Reuters file photo)Forty-six people were rescued from human trafficking for forced prostitution or forced labour in Japan in 2017, down slightly from 50 in the previous year, a government report showed Friday. Of those rescued, Japanese made up the largest share of 28, a record high, followed by eight Thai nationals and seven Filipinos. The Japanese male, five Japanese females and one Filipino female were aged 17 or younger, according to the report. Many of the Japanese victims were sexually exploited. "Human trafficking is a serious human rights violation and a grave international problem," said chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, who chaired a government meeting to discuss measures to prevent human trafficking the same day.

Source: Bangkok Post May 18, 2018 07:52 UTC