Tongan Women Sold for Marriage in China

Human trafficking is a big problem.

The ABC News reported this story on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 4:55 am.

The story was updated at 6:40 am.

A woman named Lisa went back to Tonga after being in China for nine months.

Here is a short version of the story:

The ABC talked to many Tongan women who were tricked into marrying men in China.

One woman said she was locked in a room and her passport was taken away.

What will happen next?

The police in Tonga are looking into these claims, but the Chinese embassy says it's just a problem with marriages between different countries.

Lisa grew up in a small village in Tonga.

Her family are farmers, and Lisa lived a simple life.

But she wanted something more.

A woman from Tonga who lived in China contacted Lisa and said she could have a better life in China.

The woman showed Lisa pictures of two men and said she could marry one of them.

Lisa agreed because she wanted to help her family and have a better life.

Lisa packed her bags and flew to China.

But when she got to China, things were not what she expected.

Lisa felt like she was being sold.

She was part of a group that tricks women into marrying men in China.

Women are being sold like objects.

When Lisa got to China, she met the people who helped her come there.

She was introduced to many men, not just the two she saw in the pictures.

One woman was just 16 when she was taken and sold to a man in China.

A woman named Tapenisa helped Lisa and said it was like an auction.

Tapenisa was worried about what was happening.

The people who helped Lisa come to China said she was there to have a better life.

But Tapenisa became very concerned.

The family of the man Lisa was supposed to marry talked about money.

Tapenisa realized something big was happening.

The women wanted to come to China.

The ABC found out that a Tongan woman named Maata and a Chinese woman named Auntie Julie helped organize the trips.

Maata said the women were not treated badly.

She said many Tongan women are happy in China.

Maata said she didn't get paid.

Auntie Julie organizes the trips for the women.

The ABC saw messages about payments of $20,000.

Maata said Auntie Julie paid for everything.

The ABC tried to contact Auntie Julie and Lisa's former husband.

They took Lisa's passport.

At first, Lisa's new family was nice.

But then they wanted her to have a baby.

Lisa said no, and they took her passport.

Lisa asked for a divorce, but the family treated her badly.

Lisa was very hungry and had to drink water from the bathroom.

She felt hopeless.

Tapenisa helped Lisa escape.

Lisa went back to Tonga after nine months.

The promise of a better life is not always true.

People started talking about human trafficking on social media.

The Chinese embassy said it was just a problem with marriages.

They helped Lisa and another woman go back to Tonga.

The embassy said marriages between different countries can be hard.

In Tonga, people like to have lighter skin.

The police in Tonga are looking into the problem.

They told women not to go to China.

One woman canceled her trip to China.

She was told she would have a better life, but now she's not sure.

The police are trying to help the women who are still in China.

They don't know yet if it's human trafficking.

A woman from a crisis center said it looks like human trafficking.

They have helped many women who came back from China.

Their goal is to keep the women safe.

Lisa has been back in Tonga for a week.

She wants to tell her story so other women won't get tricked.

She doesn't want to go through that again.

She thought she was going to China for a better life, but it was a lie.

See more stories from the ABC.

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