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Checking Donald Trumps Claims on China; Philippines Presidential Candidate Rodrigo Duterte Waffles on Apology After Controversial Comments; Trump, Clinton Win Big in New York; Google Being Sued by European Union. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired April 20, 2016 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[08:00:15] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to News Stream.

Now, over in a New York minute: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton scored landslide victories in a key U.S. election primary.

Sorry or not, a Philippines presidential candidate appears to back away from an apology issued by his own party over crude comments he made about a

rape.

And Google in hot water over a function on Android phones. It's now facing charges from the EU.

We begin with what may be a turning point in the race for the White House. Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have won resounding

victories in the state of New York. And for Clinton, the win stalls the recent momentum of her sole Democratic rival, Bernie Sanders.

Now, she told supporters in New York City, victory is in sight. And with Trump's huge margin, it looks like he will secure most of the delegates at

stake in New York. And he now has a better chance of winning the nomination outright without facing that contested convention.

Now, let's break down the numbers and show you just how well Trump did in New York. Now, he came out far ahead of his Republican rivals with more

than 60 percent of the vote. Right now he is projected to pick up 89 of the state's 95 delegates, that's pushing him closer to the magic number

needed to clinch the nomination.

Now CNN's Jason Carroll has more on what this means for the Trump campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can't be caught, it's impossible to catch us.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump giving a rousing victory speech befitting his New York blowout win and signaling a new phase in his

campaign.

TRUMP: We don't have much of a race anymore. Senator Cruz is just about mathematically eliminated.

(APPLAUSE)

CARROLL: The billionaire frontrunner dropping most of the insults and sounding more presidential.

TRUMP: Nobody should be given delegates, which is a ticket to victory.

CARROLL: Trump sharpening his focus on Ted Cruz, continuing to criticize his courting of delegates and the possibility of a contested convention.

TRUMP: It's a system that is rigged, and we're going to go back to the old way. It's called you vote and you win.

CARROLL: With a shutout in New York, Cruz defending his delegate strategy.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I cannot help the Donald Trump campaign does not seem capable of running a lemonade stand. If you lose,

don't cry about it. Go back and learn how to win an election.

CARROLL: Cruz trying to look past his big defeat, debuting a new stump in Philadelphia.

CRUZ: This is the year of the outsider.

CARROLL: The self-proclaimed outsider calling for unity within the Republican Party.

CRUZ: We must unite the Republican Party because doing so is the first step in uniting all Americans.

CARROLL: Runner up John Kasich ready for a fight in Maryland, continuing to argue he is the strongest candidate to take on Hillary Clinton in

November.

GOV. JOHN KASICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When you have these sky high negatives, nobody is voting for you. The delegates will look at that, and,

you know, I think they're, going to make the pick my way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: That was CNN's Jason Carroll reporting there. Hillary Clinton pulled off the Democratic win she was looking for in her adopted home state

taking nearly 58 percent of the vote in New York. Now that's projected to give her 139 delegates to add to her total.

Now, for more on New York's impact on the Democratic race, I'd like to bring in political strategist Jonathan Tasini. Now, he is the author of

"The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America."

Now Jonathan, good to see you. Thank you for joining us.

JONATHAN TASINI, AUTHOR: My pleasure.

LU STOUT: Now, it was -- as you know, it was a dominating win for Hillary Clinton in New York. Her lead was nearly insurmountable. So why is Bernie

Sanders still in the race?

TASINI: Well first of all, I want to contest the notion of her lead being insurmountable. The totals you're showing, and respectfully I think the

media does a disservice to the voters, showing the total of delegates including the super delegates. Those are not delegates committed. You have to, in my opinion, show just the pledged

delegates.

Now, previous to yesterday, Bernie Sanders had cut Hillary Clinton's lead by about a third prior -- subsequent to March 15. And in fact, he had

netted 24 more delegates in second stage contests in states that have already held their votes.

I don't want to get into the weeds about why that happened, but there are several stages in many caucus states.

And the point is, there's plenty of time left. I understand the math is difficult, but I believe we can still win the nomination. And there's no

reason for Bernie to stop campaigning.

The second thing I'd say is, you know, all Democrats should be happy about this kind of contest. Two-thirds of the people leaving the polls

yesterday in the exit poll said that this contest had energized the Democratic Party, that would include Clinton supporters who

responded to that poll. The reason being is that people like elections. They want to be engaged, want to debate the issues and this is good for the

Democratic Party.

I do believe Bernie will still be the nominee, but we are going all the way to the convention with this.

LU STOUT: Yeah, but still, after that big victory for Hillary Clinton in New York, the task is getting a lot more difficult for Bernie Sanders.

We've got some key contests coming up ahead, what does he and his campaign need to do to go in your opinion, to be able to go all the way?

TASINI: Well, you're absolutely right. There are a lot of contests, there are hundreds and hundreds of delegates still to be allocated. There are

states coming up, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut. In May, we have a contest in Oregon, out on the west coast and of course there's California

in June, which is a huge pool of delegates.

There's no question that we have to win contests by upwards of in some cases 60 percent to catch up. But remember, neither candidate, neither

Bernie or Hillary Clinton, are going to come to the convention with enough pledged delegates to clinch the nomination.

It's going to come down to those super delegates, and because the Republican convention will be held before, and because Bernie

has consistently run much better against Donald Trump and the other Republicans, Democrats are going to be faced with a question at the

convention at the end of July, who is the strongest nominee to compete for independent votes in the general election.

And the answer is clearly Bernie Sanders and then they're going to look at that and say, we have a choice. Do we pick a flawed candidate, someone

that people don't trust, who has high negatives? Or do we pick someone who for 30 or 40 years has stood on the same principles and really does attract

independents and can win the White House.

LU STOUT: Now, you are so bullish for Bernie, you are his ultimate champion and defender and biographer and I'm curious about comments that

Hillary Clinton made in her victory speech last night and how they resonated with you.

I mean, she appealed to Sanders supporters saying there is much more that unites us than

divides us. Do you think her message is getting through to people like you?

TASINI: Well, both -- Bernie Sanders has said repeatedly on her worst day Hillary Clinton is 1,000 times better than Donald Trump, and conversely,

Hillary Clinton has said the same thing about Bernie Sanders. There's no question about that,

But, really, this is about a debate about the future of the Democratic Party. Voters have a chance to decide. On the one hand they can pick a

moderate Democrat, Hillary Clinton, who's voted for the Iraq war, has been for all of these bad trade agreements, supports the

death penalty, was opposed to marriage equality until it became a thing to support.

On the other hand, they can choose Bernie Sanders who does want a political revolution, wants to end establishment politics as we've had them too many

years, which have hurt Americans both in terns of their living and certainly on foreign policy. He voted against the Iraq war, was against

the Iraq war. That's still a debate about the future of the Democratic Party.

There's no question the party will be united and we will defeat Donald Trump or whatever other nut comes out of the Republican convention.

LU STOUT: Jonathan Tasini, political commentator. Thank you for so much for joining us and

giving your thoughts on who, of course, you obviously support Bernie Sanders and the race ahead.

TASINI: Are we trying to be subtle, right?

Thank you.

LU STOUT: Now meanwhile, the incumbent U.S. President Barack Obama is on a tour of Arabian Gulf and European allies. Now, the president touched down

at Riyadh a short time ago. And the U.S. hopes to shore up support for the war against ISIS, but the relationship between the old

allies is being tested by new frictions.

Nic Robertson has more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Obama here on the ground in Saudi Arabia now, his first main meeting will be with King

Salman expected to last about an hour or so. Relations between the two countries particularly tense right now, not just the 9/11 Commission

Report, the 28 pages, the bill before congress that could allow the families, victims, of the

9/11 attack to potentially sue Saudi authorities, but here as well there's a deep feeling that United States while it pivots, and President Obama

pivots towards Aasia, that it's deserting its allies here in the Gulf region. Lead among them, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia massively increased

its defense spending.

So, what President Obama and King Salman will likely talk about is how they can cooperate on tackling ISIS and al Qaeda in the region, how they can

bring stability and security to the region, but what King Salman and his Gulf allies want is an advanced ballistic missile shield against any future

potential aggression they see that could come from Iran in this region in the future.

What we understand is that this will be a topic of discussion, the possibility of sort of speeding up the delivery of advanced military

equipment. Of course, Saudi Arabia spends tens of billions of dollars a year with the United States on defense and armament spending.

So, that relationship is a strong tie. Strong ties as well on counter terrorism. And of course that, President Obama very important for him to

be at a defeat ISIS in the region.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:10:28] LU STOUT: And now to Kabul, where the Afghan capital is reeling after militants killed dozens in a civilians in a deadly attack on Tuesday.

The interior ministry now says the death toll has risen to 64. And militants stormed a government security compound after a suicide car bomber

destroyed the back wall of the complex.

The Afghan Taliban have claimed responsibility, and most of the victims were civilians.

Now, after years of threatening the media, the Afghan Taliban have now begun to openly target

journalists. Now, this group here has been hit the hardest.

Now, Nick Paton Walsh spoke to staff at the Afghan TV station TOLO TV, who survived a suicide attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They say, tell the news, don't become it. But TOLO News has had no choice, because the

Taliban want them dead.

Their morning meeting checks in with some of the toughest beats on Earth, like Kunduz, a city the Taliban overran briefly and a place where asking

them for comment gets their reporter there, this.

WALI ARYAN, NEWS REPORTER, TOLO: I have a message from Taliban. Taliban soldiers have to killing me and cut my head.

WALSH: About two months ago the threats became real. A suicide bomber tore through this company minibus of TOLO workers being ferried home.

Seven died, 26 were injured.

And this is where they were coming home from. You might call it the front line of the culture war with the Taliban.

No burqas or lashes for lust here.

It's Afghan Star, a version of American Idol, that TOLO TV also makes. Yet here, fun and death live an ugly life side by side. This is what weighs on

the minds of a judge here who says security's never been worse in Kabul.

ARYANA SAYEED, JUDGE, AFGHAN STAR: I don't feel 100 percent safe. There's something in the back of my mind, but you have no choice. We have to carry

on with the show.

WALSH: Doing her hair is Said (ph), who missed that fatal bus trip by minutes.

"That day, after recording," he says, I had the judge's valuables on me. So, had to wait and give them back to everyone and so I was late for the

bus."

Despite the tragedy backstage this is still a moment of new year, of fun, hope and resilience for the Afghan people.

So many of them desperate to know that scenes like this will continue despite the trouble in

the years ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a clash of modernity and fundamentalism. It's a very, very serious battle of ideas. I think the Taliban has come to a

point where they see a new Afghanistan and they have to confront it.

One of my journalists is telling me that when he was leaving home right after the attack, the

week, or two, afterwards, his wife was making him touch the holy Koran, and -- you know, wishing him a good day in tearful eye.

WALSH: Left alone in the wake of the west's promises of a new life, yet still trying to shine.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kabul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, a presidential candidate in the Philippines has refused to apologize for some outrageous remarks. It concerns the rape and murder of

an Australian missionary. It happened in Davao City when Rodrigo Duterte was its first-term mayor. At a campaign he's quoted as saying "I was angry

she was raped but she was so beautiful I think the mayor should have been first."

Now, his party issued a statement to apologize for the comment. But CNN Philippines reports that he now says he would never apologize for those

remarks.

Now, despite the controversy, Duterte remains the front-runner in the election. Alexandra Field following the story for us. And Alex, just give

us a forensic analysis of those comments. Exactly what did he say, why did he say it?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There were comments that he made at a rally. He's referring to this really horrific crime, the gang rape, the

murder of a woman, not only calling her beautiful, but saying that the mayor should have been first when, of course, he was in that office. So,

this is the kind of remark that has resonated and rippled well beyond the Philippines. This of

course, making international headlines, but the ground lay here is that you've got supporters who are really staunchly behind this candidate.

He's in the front of the pack. He is the clear front-runner here, and they are continuing to

express their support for him. Where you have critics were not in his camp already who are really loudly bashing the candidate because of these

remarks at this point.

The party did come out. They issued this apology to the Filipino people. However, the

candidate himself has said, when pressed by reporters on whether or not he really is sorry, he has

sort of waffled. He has said don't press me too much on it. He has said, this is the way that I speak

and he believes that that resonates with the people and it has resonated with some of the voters. He is saying that he is someone who is plain-

spoken, speaks truth to power and it does seems to be tapping into the sentiment that some voters do feel where they don't want the situation of politics as usual, Kristie.

[08:15:40] LU STOUT: He remains unapologetic despite international condemnation about this joke, a joke about a rape and murder that took

place in 1989. He has a number of supporters, including his own daughter. What are they saying?

FIELD: Right, his own daughter, who is also a survivor of rape. She was on social media pointing out that fact. Not only was she coming into

public view acknowledging that to the public, but she was also supporting her father in that context, and saying she would still vote for her father.

Listen to how she put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA DUTERTE, DAUGHTER OF MAYOR RODRIGO DUTERTE (through translator): It was a really bad joke, if it was indeed a joke. It was a bad joke. All

I'm saying is his being a joker doesn't affect his performance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: All right, you heard his daughter there as somebody who has been one of his most public supporters saying this was a joke. It's certainly

not received as a joke by those who are criticizing him for making these remarks that have been considered by some to be incredibly vulgar and

incredibly offensive.

But when you take a look at the issues that are important to people in this election. YOu've got joblessness, that's the number one issue to people.

Number two is crime and drugs. Number three is government corruption. And when we speak to analysts who are taking a look at the field here, they say

that this is somebody who in his plain-spoken sort of way, in the way that is perceived to some as being offensive has really tapped into voter anger

concerning those second two issues, but the issue of crime. He's taken a lot of credit for cleaning up crime in the city where he was mayor, and

also this idea of government corruption. He's saying that he is someone who is not like the other politicians. It's working for some of the

voters, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And being quote/unquote, plain spoken, he has a record of saying these kind of inflammatory things right? He's done this before.

FIELD: Absolutely. He's got a well-documented record of making comments women find

offensive. He's also made some very blunt comments about criminals that some people have found offensive or frankly inappropriate for a politician,

others say it is aggressive.

But the platform that he is running on is really he is pointing to his success as a mayor, what he calls his success as a mayor for more than

three decades. He's saying that he is a record of cleaning up crime, it's important issue in the Philippines. He's saying that he can replicate

that.

But at the same time, while he is talking big talk about going after criminals in this country, you've also got human rights activists who are

saying this is somebody who should be investigated.

They're pointing to the fact a 1,000 people have disappeared from his city during his tenure. They are saying that these are people who were killed

in extra-judicial killings by vigilante groups. They have questioned whether the mayor is linked to these groups. He is denying that, but

continuing to say that he is tough on crime and very tough on criminals.

LU STOUT: Well, additional areas to investigate, no wonder this candidate has triggered this political firestorm in the Philippines. Alexandra Field

reporting. Thank you.

Now, you're watching News Stream. Still ahead on the program, we are shining a spotlight on crime taking place across the world. Hear from the

head of Anti-Slavery International, about the group's fight to stop forced child marriage.

Plus, a powerful aftershock strikes Ecuador as it struggles to recover from a massive quake. The details, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:22:19] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News

Stream.

As Ecuador reels from a catastrophic earthquake, an aftershock with the magnitude of 6.1 has hit off the coast of Ecuador. It's only 15 kilometers

deep, but no tsunami warning has been issued.

Now, the government says at least 21,000 people have been forced out of their homes and are living in shelters. 480 people were killed, another

107 people listed as missing.

Now CNN's Gustavo Valdez, takes us to the city of Pedernales. It's an attractive resort popular with tourists until the quake tore it apart.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUSTAVO VALDEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rescue workers continue to work trying to

recover the bodies of those who they believe have died in this massive earthquake. A few minutes ago, I spoke with a firefighter who told me

since Sunday morning they've been trying to rescue a family of four out of their rubble of a local hotel. Unfortunately, they haven't been able to do

so.

They told me that up until 24 hours ago they hoped to be able to at least rescue alive one of

the children. That unfortunately didn't happen. The residents, people who live here, also, are suffering. We can see this house. It's a two-story

floor. This is the second floor that completely came down to the floor. There's no way to tell if there was something underneath the structure.

They tell me the family that lived on the lower floor were not in at the time.

The people who live on the second floor felt the initial shock of the earthquake. They were

able to escape. They are happy to be alive. This is something that is happening all over this neighborhood. We're very close to the coast. The

beach is a few blocks away. But we can see that every house in this city has been touched, everything is damaged. We see small structures, big

structures, everything is damaged.

The government has been going door-to-door doing initial inspection, looking for survivors or

for victims. They're placing this sticker telling anybody else that this is not a safe place to live.

What's happening to all of these people who now don't have a home? Well, they're improvising. This is one of the nicest tents we've seen. We see

that they put up a tent. They rescued their beds. They have been getting water from the government. They're trying to get by with what they can.

And something as simple as electricity is a big help for them.

A few minutes ago, we allowed them to plug their cell phones into our power supply that we

were using to broadcast. They were able immediately to receive messages to call their friends and family and tell them that they are alive.

Gustavo Valdez, CNN, Ecuador.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And we have search and rescue teams in southern Japan also racing against the clock to find possible earthquake survivors. Two

earthquakes struck the same area within days of each other. Now, a disaster management official say the death toll from those quakes now

stands at 47, more than 1,000 people were injured, and 8 people are still missing.

Now, you can help with earthquake relief efforts in both Japan and Ecuador. For more information on how you can help, just go over to CNN.com/Impact.

Now, Donald Trump says China is squarely to blame for malaise in the U.S. economy, but some say his facts just don't commute. We've got a Trump

reality check coming up.

And we've got new details about the iPhone that ignited a legal firestorm between Apple and the FBI. After the break, find out what federal

investigators have to say about what they found.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

LU STOUT: On the U.S. campaign trail, Donald Trump has used the stump to target not just Republican rivals, but international players as well.

China, Japan, Mexico, they've all faced the wrath of the Republican front- runner. And CNN Money's Asia-Pacific editor Andrew Stevens has this reality

check of trump's claims on china.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE\)

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump blames one country repeatedly for the U.S.'

economic woes.

TRUMP: China.

TRUMP: China.

TRUMP: China.

[08:30:01] TRUMP: Look at what's happening with China.

STEVENS: But is that the case?

Let's do a reality check and find out. We'll start with Trump's issue with China's currency, the yuan, or renminbi.

TRUMP: They are the single greatest currency manipulator that ever been on this planet.

STEVENS: He's repeatedly accused China of weaken the yuan to benefit its own exporters. Economists say that argument might have held up seven or

eight years ago, but not anymore.

The yuan has been strengthening sharply over the last 10 years, up 20 percent against the U.S. dollar. That makes U.S. exports to China much

cheaper.

Its strengthened so much that the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, added the yuan to its

basket of reserve currencies, that gives China an international stamp of approval and credibility.

Now Beijing is intervening, but the objective is to keep its currency strong. So it gives no advantage to its own exporters.

When it comes to trade with China, Trump says the U.S. is getting a raw deal.

TRUMP: You lose $500 billion a year with China. It's a total imbalance. We don't make good deals anymore. We don't win anymore.

STEVENS: The U.S. trade deficit with China is actually $365 billion. That means the U.S. is buying more Chinese goods than China is buying U.S.

goods.

The deficit is at a record high, but the balance has been like that for the last 30 years.

Now, staying with trade, Trump says the only way to fight this imbalance is by slapping a 45 percent tax on Chinese goods exported to the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're open to a tariff?

TRUMP: I'm totally open to a tariff.

STEVENS: This threat is aimed at Chinese companies, but would hurt American consumers.

Economists say a higher tax means a bigger price tag for goods that come from China.

What's more, economists are unanimous in saying this could lead to retaliation by China, which would trigger a global trade war and that

wouldn't be in the interests of anyone.

Andrew Stevens, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, the EU is filing charges Google, accusing it of abusing its dominant

market position with Android to promote its own products. . Now, here's the homescreen of an Android phone. And one of the EU's issues is this Google search bar right up here. Now, manufacturers are required

to have Google as the default search option on all Android handsets. They also demand that a suite of Apple -- sorry, Google apps like YouTube, Gmail

and Chrome are pre-installed.

Now, Android is the world's most popular operating system. And with 80 percent marketshare in Europe, the EU says it's abusing that position.

Now, Google is now facing a fight to avoid a massive fine and more trouble with European regulators.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCISCO GUERRERO, POLITICO: They're fighting on two fronts, this and then, of course, a tax front. So, there's two issues that Google has to

face in Brussels. I think they did their best. I think it's difficult once the European commission, especially the competition department, which

as you know is very powerful, has a lot of powers that Europe has.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are they overplaying their hand, the competition commission, do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so. I think they are playing their hand just as they should. I mean, remember, this is their charge sheet. This

is where lay out all the things that they don't like, and it's almost like a negotiating position, right. The opening negotiating statement.

Now, the negotiation begins and that's where you know Europe and Google have to come to some sort of agreement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Francisco Guerrero of Politico there.

Now, Google put out a statement defending itself pointing out that companies like Amazon use Android without any Google services. They

company also says bundling apps and search is how they're able to give Android away for free.

Now, general counsel Kent Walker said this. He said, quote, "we provide Android for free and

offset our costs through the revenue we generate on our Google apps and services we distribute via

Android."

Now, Samuel Burke will have much more on the new charges Google faces. It's coming up on CNN Money with Maggie Lake. That starts in less than 30

minutes.

Now, sources tell CNN that the FBI has learned more about the San Bernardino attack from the

shooter's locked iPhone, but won't specify exactly what data was retrieved.

Now Saeed Farooq iPhone was at the center of a fight between Apple and the FBI. Now, investigators will say that the phone does not contain evidence

of contacts with other ISIS supporters nor does it have any encrypted messages. Now, that is helping them rule out concern that the attacker had

help.

Aside Farooq's iPhone 5c sparked that clash between Apple and the FBI, becoming part of this wider argument about empowering law enforcement

versus the right to privacy. Now, Farooq's iPhone, it was locked and protected with a passcode. A passcode that the FBI did not have.

So, remember, they asked Apple to help them find a way into the phone. Apple refused taking the fight public by publishing an open letter from its

CEO Tim Cook.

Now, Apple says that the FBI wanted them to create a special version of the iPhone's operating system that bypasses several security features. They

refused, claiming that once the software is written it could find its way into the hands of hackers or criminals who could use it to access

anyiPhones.

And in the end, the FBI dropped its demand. They hired hackers who found another way into the locked phone. And FBI has not disclosed how the

hackers were able to do it.

You're watching News Stream. And still ahead on the program, we are shining a spotlight on a crime that's taking place right now across the

world. Hear from the head of anti-slavery international about the group's fight to stop forced child marriage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:37:24] LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, all this week CNN has been bringing you special reports on the plight of Vietnamese girls sold into

marriage. It's part of our ongoing series, "The CNN Freedom Project."

And girls as young as 13 years old say that they are tricked or drugged and then taken to China and forced into marriage.

And joining me now is a director of a group dedicated to fighting these kinds of crimes.

Aidan McQuade off Anti-Slavery International. He joins us live from London.

Aidan, thank you so much for joining us here on the program. As you know, we're covering the

story, women and girls from Vietnam being sold into marriage in China. This is largely due to China's male biased sex ratio. How big a problem is

this?

AIDAN MCQUADE, ANTI-SLAVERY INTERNATIONAL: Globally, it's 250 million women are estimated to have been married before the age of 18. In absolute

terms, the largest number of people who are in child marriages are inside Asia, but the rates are highest in sub-Saharan Africa.

LU STOUT: Is it the numbers that you're citing, are absolutely staggering. As you rightly point out it's not just just happening in Asia, in Africa as

well. And it's horrific to imagine the sort of situation where a woman or a young girl is tricked, or drugged and then trafficked into marriage. And

then there's that added horror of what actually happens to her in that situation when she can't leave.

Are they in slavery-like conditions?

MCQUADE: Marriage is one of the euphemisms which used in order to disguise slavery in the present word, particularly in relation to children.

We would argue that if kids are -- find themselves in marriages which are - - sorry -- which deny them of freedom of choice, which have no basis for refusing or which are subject for physical

and sexual violence within them that it should be recognized explicitly as slavery. And currently that is not happening across the world. The

powerful men who are very reluctant, ever, to give up their rights to rape and enslave whenever they are given to them, particularly over women, and

that's a matter which in which is particularly a problem whenever we're talking about tackling child marriage.

LU STOUT: Now Aidan, please, tell me what is your organization, Anti- Slavery International, doing to stop this, to stop trafficking of women and girls into forced marriage?

[08:40:00] MCQUADE: Well, one of the things that we're doing is actually raising the issue as a human rights issue is an issue of slavery. There's

been a lot of attention, particularly by our friends and colleagues in the organization Girls Not Bride.

On the issue of child marriage as a development issue and how it can help lock girls into poverty through their lives, but this misses the issue that

it is an issue also of slavery, because it's fundamentally about refusing the most fundamental protections, the most fundamental rights to girls and

young women and consigning them to lives of imprisonment and enslavement.

LU STOUT: This is, as you point out, fundamentally about human rights. So what could be done in a practical sense on the ground and in these poor,

rural communities, where often there is a lot of misogyny, there is a lack of respect for women, a lack of respect for children. I mean what can you

done to shore up the dignity of women and children, to make sure that this practice, the trafficking of women and girls as brides, that this ends?

MCQUADE: I mean, it's very difficult to change people's attitudes overnight, but it is possible to change the law, and that's the first thing

that we should start with. We should look at ensuring that there is not just laws on paper in relation to protecting girls and some other children

from child marriage, but actually enforcing that law. Within the UK, today, for example, there was reports of a boy as young as 8 being

threatened with forced marriage, and recognition by the police officer who's in charge of combating forced marriage within the UK that it remains

an under reported crime and an under investigated crime.

So, in a country like the UK, we see difficulties in dealing with it. Imagine countries which are

poorer, where there is inadequate rule of law.

But another area which we should be confronting and it's interesting to see President Obama's in

Saudi Arabia today, because much of the philosophy of law which is being exported by Saudi Arabia into Islamic State, into Boko Haram is not just

saying the enslavement of girls under the guise of marriage is acceptable, but it's actually virtuous. And that's something, which has to be

repudiated as well.

LU STOUT: Yeah, absolutely.

I understand your group is working with an organization called Girls and Not Brides, to

end the practice, women and girls being forced into marriage.

Do you have a success story to share, a story of hope?

MCQUADE: i would like to be able to share a story of hope, but I'm afraid there's not too many. We do see from time to time some girls who, because

of the intervention of teachers or maybe some other relatives, have been able to avoid being trafficked into forced marriage. We do see because of

the intervention, for example, of diligent police officers in the UK and other parts of the world there are some examples of kids who avoid forced

marriage, but when we balance that against the overwhelming levels of abuse and levels of numbers of kids who are being forced into marriage, there's

not an awful lot in the way of happy stories in this issue.

It's something which is -- the world has not confronted adequately yet.

LU STOUT: Well, thank you for sharing your account with us so we know just how immense this challenge is. And we thank you you and your organization,

anti-Slavery International, for doing such important work to helping end the practice.

MCQUADE: Well, thanks to CNN...

LU STOUT: ...girld being trafficked and to end slavery. Yes.

MCQUADE: Yeah. And thanks to CNN, because it's been one of the first major news organizations which has raised diligently over the years these

issues of slavery and I think the fact so many others are looking at it now is direct -- a direct consequence of CNN raising this first.

LU STOUT: Now, thank you very much. I'm very grateful for that feedback and we are continuing to be fixed on the story.

Thank you, Aidan. And all the best to you and your co-workers.

And that is News Stream.

END