The Missing Persons Information Centre to Combat Human Trafficking of the Mirror Foundation issued a statement on Children's Day calling on government agencies and the media to give importance to the urgent matter of missing children and to tackle the problem seriously. Children who leave home need protection and assistance. Information on the plight of missing children should b e publicized to create a better understanding of the problem in society. In 4 years, thousands have gone missing, of which more than 60% have been children.

The statement ‘On Children's Day this ... we seek recognition or missing children' includes the following information.

The Missing Persons Information Centre to Combat Human Trafficking of the Mirror Foundation is an NGO which has since 2004 taken responsibility data-collection, coordination and monitoring of the missing persons situation in the entire kingdom. The Centre has recorded 927 cases of missing persons, 578 of which involve children below 18 years of age, or approximately 60% of the national total.

In reality, the problem of missing children who leave home is doubling in severity in terms of higher figures and the consequence for children who leave home. Children if all ages from birth to 18 years are at risk of going missing. There are many reasons - they elope, they are lured for sexual purpose, they are tricked into work, they are lured by the dangers of technology, and they are forced by family problems to run away from home.

What happens to children after they go missing is a reality that may be overlooked. The welfare and safety of the lives of missing children is a matter that must be recognized. It has been found that many children who go missing are cases that involve crime. They may be abused and exploited and have their rights violated. Even when domestic violence has impelled the child to run away from home, there is cause for serious concern since it has been found that many children who decide to run away from home may come into contact with vice rings or are tricked into being exploited. It can be said that they become the direct and indirect victims of society.

At the same time, if we look at the processes or mechanisms for helping children who have gone missing and for preventing them from falling victim to people waiting to exploit them, we find that society's understanding of the problem is at a low level, as is the seriousness with which the relevant agencies deal with the problem. The responsibility for dealing with this problem is scattered among different agencies and a picture of the overall management of the problem is not clear. As a result, the understanding of the problem of missing children among members of society does not approach reality and is of no assistance.

The scope of the problem of missing children in terms of attempts by the relevant agencies to solve the problem and the cope of society's understanding are still limited by a low level of interest and importance. There should be an agenda to declare and build mechanism to address this problem systematically.

On the occasion of Children's Day 2008, the Missing Persons Information Centre to Combat Human Trafficking of the Mirror Foundation calls for the issue of missing children to be put on the agenda of government agencies. The National Police Office, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the network of media organizations are asked to join in taking responsibility for Children's Day this year to recognize the issue of missing children. This is an urgent issue that deserves to be given importance and acted on seriously, both in protecting and assisting missing children. The situation of missing children should also be publicized and an understanding of the problem should be built in society, because we believe that the responsibility for helping missing children must be the duty of everyone in society.