A Taiwanese man is to go on trial in Vietnam later this month charged with trafficking Vietnamese women in Malaysia, state media said.

Tsai Hsien, 46, will go on trial with five Vietnamese, including his wife, at Ho Chi Minh City's people's court on July 26, said the government-controlled Vietnam News Agency ( VNA ).

Investigators in Vietnam said they had evidence that the gang had arranged fake marriages for more than 100 women, but then forced the women to remarry or work as prostitutes after coming to Malaysia.

20 years' jail

They said the women were sold for between US$1,500-2,000 each.

The Taiwanese man was arrested in Vietnam in March last year, and has been in custody since then. If found guilty, he face up to 20 years in jail.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung last month urged local authorities to raise awareness and make every effort to prevent crimes against women and child trafficking in the country, especially in border areas with China and Cambodia.

Vietnam aims to eliminate the trafficking of women and children by 2010, VNA said.