BANGLADESH: 2 CHILDREN KILLED EVERY DAY IN 2002

The Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) in it's 'Annual Report on Child Rights in 2002' revealed some shocking figures on the child rights situation in Bangladesh in Year 2002.
* The rights of at least 7445 children were violated in some way or the other in 2002. In 2001, 3776 children were violated: a increase by 97 percent.
* Regional and national newspapers carried reports of 620 child rights violations in 2002, almost double those reported in 2001.
* In 2002, 584 children were killed with an average of 2 children killed every day. 686 girls/women were raped, and 83 of them killed after rape.
* A total of 408 girls were trafficked to India, Pakistan and Middle East countries for forced prostitution and 130 girls/women suffered acid attacks.

MALAYSIA: 800 'REPORTED' CASES OF CHILD ABUSE IN 2002

Under-reporting of child abuse is an common phenomenon in Malaysia. Child Rights Activists mention that the number of cases reported annually are just the tip of the iceberg. In 2002, 800 cases of child abuse were reported to the police. The reported cases were mostly related to physical and sexual abuse of girls.

In spite of the passing of the Child Act in 2001, which makes it easy to report child abuse cases, the situation did not see a great improvement.

Malaysia also hit headlines during the year due to its mass deportation exercise of illegal immigrants. Confirmed reports highlighted the abuse and rape of at least 13 young Filipino girls during the deportation process.

NEPAL: 3,609 INCIDENTS OF CR VIOLATION IN 2002

* A total of 3609 incidents related to the exploitation of children, sexual exploitation of children, child trafficking, forced prostitution, child labour exploitation, child death, missing children and children in conflict with the law were recorded by the Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN).
* At least 40,000 children were living as bonded labourers and another 5000 children were working and living on the streets in 2002.
* At least 12,000 women and children are trafficked to India for purposes of prostitution in 2002.
* However, under reporting is common and these numbers are not indicative of the actual number of children who have been violated during the year.

THAILAND: 215 CHILDREN RAPED, 164 ABUSED IN 2002

* A nongovernmental organization Child Protection Foundation (CPF) revealed that the number of child rape cases that it had handled in 2002 had increased by 39 percent from the previous years. CPF received 215 cases of child rape in 2002.
* CPF also noted a 31 percent rise in the number of child abuse cases, up to 164 cases compared to the previous year.
* 44 percent of the rape cases were of children age 9 and lower, majority of the perpetrators being the girls' own fathers, stepfather or close relatives.
* UNICEF estimated that there were at least 200,000 child prostitutes in Thailand in 2002.

PAKISTAN: 825 MINOR BOYS, 614 MINOR GIRLS VIOLATED IN 2002

* 1,439 cases of child abuse reported in 2002.
* Of them, 550 cases were related to murders of children , 378 committed against male children and 172 against female.
The remaining were related to rape (303), sodomy (260), injury (188) and others of severe torture (50).
* Of the total, 825 were committed against minor boys and the rest against girls.
* 454 cases of female child abduction and 392 cases of male child abduction were reported in 2002. The main reasons being old enmity, kidnapping for ransom and sexual pleasures; and in some cases, the abducted male children trafficking to the Gulf states.
* Newspapers reported 831 cases of missing children all over the country.