The Gov Candidates on Human Trafficking
Hawaii has seen more than its fair share of human trafficking court cases lately.
The owners of one of Hawaii’s most well-known farms are heading to trial in an alleged scheme involving 44 Thai workers. The largest human trafficking case in U.S. history, covering 400 Thai farm workers, was filed in Hawaii last month.
Civil Beat asked the governor candidates what they would do to address human trafficking issues in Hawaii.
Former Democratic Congressman Neil Abercrombie said that he has a personal interest in human trafficking, given his wife’s academic work in the field. It’s not a judicial issue, he said.
Republican Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona told Civil Beat, “I don’t think it’s a matter of the laws at this point and time…But I’m willing to look at everything, obviously.”
The issue is timely, as Hawaii remains one of six states in the U.S. that does not have a law criminalizing human trafficking.
Gov. Linda Lingle this summer vetoed what would have been Hawaii’s first human trafficking law. Its sponsors have vowed to reintroduce the bill in the next legislative session.
Honolulu’s new city prosecutor, Keith Kaneshiro, breaking with his predecessor, Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle, stated that existing laws are inadequate to address human trafficking on Oahu.
Read Abercrombie’s verbatim response to Civil Beat’s human trafficking question:
Civil Beat: And on human trafficking, it may be a judicial issue —
Abercrombie: No. Well, it’s not with me, if only for personal reasons, because my wife has been associated with it for all her academic and professional life. And I was particularly aware of it because of — even when I was a probation officer. Narcotics trade and so on. And then on the armed services committee, terrorism, because they could use the raw data — routes, if you will, of trafficking for prostitution, for child labor, for narcotics. They’re for sale, and those routes are for sale.
Read Aiona’s verbatim response to Civil Beat’s human trafficking question:
Civil Beat: Let me to ask you about two issues that we covered at Civil Beat that I want to get your reaction on. The first is human trafficking. What would you do as governor to help the state in regards to cracking down on human trafficking? I assume it’s an issue you’re familiar with.
Aiona: Yeah, I mean you’ve got two. You’ve got sexual exploitation of young children and, then of course you’ve got — I don’t know if you’d call this human trafficking — but what we just had with the Aloun Farms.
Civil Beat: Actually…
Aiona: Yeah, I guess that’s another category of human trafficking.
Civil Beat: It’s abusing people and using them… How do you correct that?
Aiona: You’ve got to be vigilant, obviously. It’s a matter of enforcement and being aware of the problem. I don’t think it’s a matter of the laws at this point and time. Although, some would say it’s about the laws and the fact that we have some laws that have some cracks in it. But I’m willing to look at everything, obviously. I’m not going to sit here and tell you…I know I gave you the statement that I don’t think it’s about the law, but people would have to convince me it is about the laws and then we’d have to look at it.
Civil Beat: Perhaps with your attorney general — prosecution?
Aiona: There’s no question about that. Everyone would need to be involved with it. It’s matter of being a collaborative effort with all the stakeholders involved in this, because it’s something that goes back to our basic human values and compassion for other people. You just don’t exploit people. You don’t exploit human beings. It’s wrong. It’s inherently wrong. You just don’t do that. So, we as civilized society who is committed to human equality…we just can’t let that happen. So to me it’s very important. We can’t let that continue.
Read the candidates’ complete Q&A:
