Justice by Proxy: Combatting Forced Labor in the Greater Mekong Subregion by Holding U.S. Corporations Liable

Human trafficking in Southeast Asia is still a thriving and lucrative industry. Despite these blatant human rights violations, international and local laws have struggled to keep ahead of the rapidly growing human trafficking industry. The result is a legal system that cannot effectively combat human trafficking in this region. This Note highlights the United States\u27 significant financial contribution to the growth of this slavery industry, particularly in the purchase of significant quantities of goods produced by forced labor in this region. This Note argues that a way to expedite change in this region should be from external, foreign law targeting the United States\u27 economic role in this industry. Fining or blocking the trade of U.S.-based corporations whose supply chains are de facto complicit in this human trafficking model will slow the human trafficking industry in Southeast Asia, allowing the local and international legal initiatives to take better shape in the meantime