China's law enforcement agencies have set a deadline for suspects involved in the abduction and trafficking of women and children, as they must surrender within the first three months of 2011 or face severe punishment.

China's Ministry of Public Security said Thursday that it would issue a joint notice with the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate Saturday, ordering human trafficking suspects to surrender by the end of March 2011.

The suspects under the surrender order are those who have committed abductions and trafficking of women and children, the buyers of abducted women and children, and those who prevent the rescue of abducted women and children, according to the notice.

These three groups of suspects will face severe punishments if they do not turn themselves in by the deadline or try to transfer or hide the abducted women and children, said the notice.

On the other hand, those who surrender within the deadline may receive lighter or mitigated punishment and, for those with minor offenses, even exemption from punishment.

Despite police crackdowns, human trafficking of women and children has persisted in the country, where males outnumber females and the concept of preferring boys to girls has long taken hold.

Chinese police have been tough on these crimes. In a crackdown begun in April, Chinese police freed 10,621 women and 5,896 children who had been abducted and sold for profits as of September 2010.

In the campaign, police nationwide apprehended 2,398 human trafficking gangs and documented 13,500 such cases.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2010)