Entrepreneur Ken Law runs a successful information technology business, but now he has a second job - anti-slavery activist.
The Stanford University-educated Law is one of dozens of Hong Kong professionals - lawyers, bankers and IT experts - who have formed the Mekong Club, the first business-driven group to fight human trafficking across Asia.
Around 26 million people live in slavery globally, with more than nine million of them in Asia, according to United Nations estimates.
The lucrative trade is worth more than US$30 billion (HK$234 billion).
Many of the victims are brought from poor countries and sold to factories, sweat shops or fishing vessels, while women are forced into the sex trade and children are used as child labor.
Unlike the official agencies battling slavery, these suit-clad professionals plan to wage their war from Hong Kong's skyscrapers.
Among the club members, lawyers will use their expertise to tackle slavery court cases around the region, telecom experts will set up cross-border hotlines for victims, and bankers will trace traffickers' illicit proceeds.
The club is also studying "extremely interesting ideas" about how to tackle the trade.
"I believe there are many ways to help the victims," said Law, 35, chief of MotherApp, which rolls out mobile applications for firms across the globe. "I hope we can play our part."
Jude Mannion, another co-founder who heads a consultancy firm, said Hong Kong has an incredibly glitzy image but now's the time for businesses to change the game for human slavery.
He added: "I think Hong Kong businesses are ready to stand for something."
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