Sri Lanka is on the global hit-list for human trafficking, but despite the best intentions to eliminate it, no one has been convicted for women trafficking under a decade old law.
Much of the trafficking happens via labour migration to the Middle East, with regularly highlighted cases of abuse, despite the lack of convictions.
Sri Lanka is a source country for women who are trafficked to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar, mainly as sex workers or for forced labour, a 2004 country report by the US Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons, said.
A smaller number of Thai, Chinese and Russian women were trafficked to Sri Lanka for the commercial sex trade.
Sri Lankan women, some in Free Trade Zones, as well as children are also trafficked internally, as sex workers or as domestics.
Trafficking was introduced as an amendment to the penal code in 1995, with the earlier laws only covering forced labour and not specifically the issue of trafficking.