Human trafficking in Southeast Asia and U.S. national security

Abstract

The United States government finds human trafficking to be an important subject and is placing increasing focus on the issue. The Southeast Asian portion of the Western Pacific encompasses a substantial portion of global trafficking, much of which has a final destination in the United States. This thesis asks the following question: How does trafficking in persons (TIP) affect U.S. national security interests and regional stability in Southeast Asia? To answer this question, this thesis examines how trafficking affects U.S. national security; the importance of combatting human trafficking in Southeast Asia to regional stability and to U.S. national security; levels of involvement the United States might seek to address the problem of human trafficking in Southeast Asia; and the possibility of an increase in maritime security efforts and interagency coordination in Southeast Asia to effectively combat human trafficking. U.S. national security is tied to regional stability through effects on economic interdependence and state partnerships. TIP threatens both, through its influence in transnational organized crime and the misuse of humans as an illegal resource. The thesis concludes by considering possible solutions to the problem that could be adopted by the United States military.