In the fifth part of the CNN documentary "Nepal's Stolen Children," American actress Demi Moore interviews the Prime Minister of Nepal on the issue of human trafficking, in an attempt to find out the government's response to the rampant problem.
After four days working with Anuradha and her team at Maiti Nepal, I have lots of questions.
Today I'll be putting them to two people able to give us unique insights into the issue of sex trafficking in Nepal.
The first is one of the most powerful people in the country, Nepal's prime minister.
The second, a convicted sex trafficker sentenced to 12 years in prison.
But even before we can reach the prime minister's office, our scheduled jailhouse interview hits trouble.
We hear that official permission has suddenly been withdrawn.
It's something I plan to raise with the prime minister, but first I want to know why he thinks his country has become such a haven for human trafficking.
"Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for sitting down and speaking with me.
Clearly this is an issue that requires the support of the private sector, but also that we can't do it alone, we really...we need the support of the government and my process of trying to educate myself on what's happening here in Nepal, I was interested to know your position and knowledge of what's happening here with trafficking."
"Actually since a long time in our society there is patriarchal domination.
That is one of the causes that women are in the unprivileged position right now.
And there is dire poverty also.
About 30 percent of our population is under dire poverty."
"When I was at the border I spent a moment speaking with a police inspector
and I found that he actually knew quite little about the issue of trafficking,
and more importantly, he seemed overwhelmed at having very little resources or manpower in identifying the traffickers, especially with it being such an open border."
"That is one of the big problems,
how to manage it and at the same time in the border area,
we have to double up or more modern type of checkpoints."
"Yes."
"So that everybody could be screened at the border point."
"Education is not mandatory in Nepal and because there is clearly a gender discrimination, that if a family, poor, has two boys and three girls and limited funds, they will send the boys to school.
And leaving the girls in a very vulnerable position
and I think that if education became mandatory, it could also reduce the risk."
"Thank you for raising this very important question.
At this time it's the time for new budget also and in this budget discussion I have already directed the finance minister to think about it because we are...
there is no compulsory education in Nepal.
And let us try to develop it at least up to eighth grade a compulsory education
so that everybody should have to be educated.
And at the same time, there should not be any kind of discrimination between men or woman particularly girls should be given more concessions."
"If there is a fine, I think, it will, like, compel the parents to send the girls to school.
Even if it's just two rupees, it's fine."
"We have a trafficker that was willing to speak with us but we were having difficulty in having access.
You could help us to have the permission to actually go and interview him?"
"Yes. I will do it."
Armed with the prime minister's support, we head to the prison for our interview with the trafficker.
The man, convicted in 2001, of trafficking more than 100 women, is now approaching his release date.
He has educated himself in prison, studied for two degrees and become a teacher.
He now expresses remorse and says he wants to help Maiti Nepal combat future trafficking. When we arrive at Kathmandu's central jail, things don't go according to plan.
We are escorted to a meeting with the prison's most senior official known here as the jailer.
We're forbidden from bringing our cameras but are allowed to record our discussion.
"I'm so disappointed because it was an opportunity to, I think, add a level of texture, education, and I think he would have provided us with so many great insights into how to combat this issue from a trafficker's point of view, who has completely rehabilitated.
So I think it is a great loss, not only for us but I think for this country."
The day's events have taken their toll on Anuradha.
"She's just going to get her blood pressure checked, so Tim is going to walk to her to the car." We will continue our efforts to get access to the trafficker but time is running out as I have less than 24 hours left in Nepal.
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