Where to find help

Your wish is our command! We have compiled a list of organisations  both inside and outside of Thailand that are armed with resources and information to help fight against sex trafficking.  If you are a victim of commercial sexual exploitation and/or sex trafficking and happen to be reading this because you are desperate for a breakthrough or a helping hand, read on because these organisations are your friends!  Or if you happen to see or know of any cases of sex trafficking or coercion while travelling in Thailand, please help and report by considering these contacts:

Thailand

NightLight International Organisation- Bangkok
Objective: To reach out to, rescue and restore all those whoa re negatively impacted by sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
PO Box 1414 Nana Post Office Bangkok, Thailand 10112
Email: bkk@nightlightinternational.com
http://www.nightlightinternational.com/

Empower foundation-  Education Means Protections of Women Engaged in Recreation
Objective: Advocates for the human rights and fair recognition of sex workers as active citizens involved in every sector of Thailand: politics, the economy, and the environment. They also support anti-trafficking legislationand seek to combat it, but make a clear distinction between those who are forced into prostitution and those who chose the work.
Phone: 02 526 8311
Address: 57/60 Tivanond Rd Nonthaburi 1100
http://www.empowerfoundation.org/

SWING Thailand- Service workers in group foundation
Objective: Provide civil protection, access to health services and social welfare as well as create opportunities for educational opportunities to improve the quality of life of sex workers, past and present.
Phone: 02 632 9501
Address: 5th Floor 3 Patpong Rd Silom Bangokok 10500
http://www.swingthailand.org/

Australia

Anti-slavery Australia
Objective: Specialist legal research and policy centre focussed on achieving the abolition of slavery and trafficking  and helping victims with legal aid
Phone: 02 9514 9660
Email: antislavery@uts.edu.au
http://www.antislavery.org.au/

A21- Australia
Objective: Raise awareness and prevent trafficking in local communities through education and raising funds to see victims rescued and restored
PO Box 7820 Baulkham Hills BC NSW 2163
Tel: 02 9680 2121
http://www.a21.org/

International Justice Mission- Australia
Objective: identify and rescue victims of slavery by partnering with local authorities and advocates for a stronger justice system against trafficking.
Address: Suite 502/10 Help Street, Chatswood NSW 2067
Phone: 1300 045 669
Email: contact@ijm.org.au
http://www.ijm.org.au/

International

CATW Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
Objective: to end human trafficking in our life time
PO Box 7160 JAF Station New York NY 10116 USA
Phone: 212-643-9895
http://www.catwinternational.org/

UNODC- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Objective: As part of the United Nations entity focussed on combatting human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants
UNODC  P.O. Box 500  1400 Vienna  Austria
Phone:  (+43-1) 26060-5687
Email: htmss@unodc.org
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/human-trafficking/

…And of course there are always the emergency or federal police departments at your discretion so please when travelling to Thailand be aware and on the look out. A sex trafficking victim may be standing next to you or within your proximity trying to escape without help- be their helping hand.

Be aware. Serve the Right. Join the movement today.
#BreakTheTraffik

JV

Thank you for your support; Sex Trafficking Awareness Day

26 October 2015

Today we successfully brought attention to the silent victims that have been forgotten, gone unnoticed and continue to be sexually exploited. Thank you for your attention and engagement. Thank you to each and everyone of the 125+ people who clicked ‘join’ to show that you care and want an end to the slavery. A massive thank you to those who took the initiative and time out of your day to take a picture and post it on our feeds to elevate the support. We are loving the pictures and comments! It really gives us great joy to see you join the movement with us against slavery, to justice and equality and to ultimately end sex trafficking. Thank you!

#BreakTheTraffik #BeTheirVoice

JV

Sex Trafficking Awareness Day

26 October 2015

I invite you to join us on Sex Trafficking Awareness Day
https://www.facebook.com/events/1714964648731789/

In collaboration with our friends at SoldForSex #BeTheirVoice, we are holding an event to bring attention to the silent victims that have been forgotten, gone unnoticed and continue to be sexually exploited.

Globally, an estimated 20.9 million people fall victims to sex trafficking and a good chunk of this is witnessed in Thailand. One study shows that 57% of sex workers have been raped into prostitution, 55% of the women were physically assaulted and 47% of them had pornography made of them while working as a sex workers without their consent.

Once in the life of a sex worker especially those being coerced, a dark and lonely journey ensues. It becomes extremely difficult for the women and girls to leave; they think there is not enough help, they are belittled into thinking there is no other jobs and they are being held against their will because of debt to their pimps. Many sex trafficking victims contract HIV/Aids or other health disorders, others abuse drug and alcohol as a coping mechanism to survive the trade and majority suffer from physical and mental insecurity.

As a result these, sex trafficking victims will suffer detrimental consequences in the future. Some of them include:

• Not being able to bare children of their own or do not have the ability to care for and start a family
• If they have contracted HIV/Aids, it is possible they can pass this onto their children and loved ones
• Ostracised from their communities or families because of their status as a sex worker
• Permanent physical and socio-psychological impairment as a result of their experiences in the sex trade

That is why it is very important for us to stand united against sex trafficking and slavery. If they struggle to make voice, we will acknowledge their lives and become their voice. As representatives we propose today, everyone take onto social media platforms such as FB and Twitter to post a picture of yourselves with your mouth covered (by hand or sticky take or anything you wish). This is what it’s like to be in their shoes; no freedom, trapped and injustice. Don’t forget to #BreakTheTraffik #BeTheirVoice to get it trending! C’mon guys together we can fight to end sex trafficking!

JV

The reasons

Human trafficking is a crime that preys on society’s most vulnerable people.
With an increase in tourists seeking entertainment, including commercial sex, there increases potential risk of exploitation and human trafficking. Sex trafficking is one of the major types of human trafficking in which a commercial sex act is inducted by force, fraud or coercion particularly of women and children. What are the root causes that allow sex trafficking to flourish amongst popular tourist destinations, such as Thailand? Here are a few:

• Poverty: Thousands of uneducated Thai women from impoverished rural villages or dysfunctional low socio-economic background migrate to the cities each year in search of work to support their families. Lack of basic job skills, employment awareness and education make them highly volatile to sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude.
• Gender discrimination and inequality; some cultures accepts (particularly that of Asian) treating people, especially women and children, as objects that can be bought and sold
• Weak Legislation and political will: Thailand have relatively undefined law and judiciary when it comes to human sex trafficking. They have been accused of remaining complicit and according to the US State department (2915) are unable to make sufficient efforts  “to fully comply with the minimal standards for the elimination of trafficking.”
• Affluence in the greater Sub-Mekong region: some majority of females subjected to trafficking to Thailand come from overseas, particularly from the Sub-Mekong region (Mynamar, Lao, Cambodia and Southern China) who are without documentation, have little to none language skills and understanding of their rights under Thai Law. The ‘statelessness’ of ethnic minorities in Thailand’s poor areas are denied citizenship and are also at risk of being trafficked.
• Globalisation of the sex industry; there are increasing demands for commercial sex hence an increase pressure into prostitution and trafficking in and out of Bangkok to sustain an increasingly global network

Shout out!

Source: How you can help sex trafficked victims

Hey Guys,

I stumbled on this informative blog post from https://soldforsex.wordpress.com/ #Bethevoice that provides a list of some Australian organisations that are dedicated to raising awareness and supporting victims of sex trafficking. If you guys happen to spot or suspect any case of trafficking- do something about it because you really can save a life.

Check it out!

JV

Questions to ask if you suspect trafficking is occurring near you

Screening questions:

1. Is this person free to leave the work site?
2. Is the person physically, sexually or psychologically abused?
3. Does the person have a passport or valid I.D. card and is he/she in possession of such documents?
4. What is the pay and conditions of employment?
5. Does the person live at home or at/ near the work site?
6. How did the individual arrive to this destination if the suspected victim is a foreign national?
7. Has the person or a family member of this person been threatened?
8. Does the person fear that something bad will happen to him or her, or to a family member, if he/she leaves the job?

Remember anyone can report suspected trafficking cases. Contact your nearest police, law enforcement agency and crime stoppers to report such cases.

Be aware. Serve the Right. Join the movement today.

 #BreakTheTraffik

JV

Roshni

Roshni’s story

Roshni is a mother of 6 children. She is the sole earner of the family as her husband has fallen unfit for work.  Roshni earned money by doing odd jobs in the village until one day “on 17th July I [Roshni] got a call from my friend saying that I should go and meet her immediately for a job. When I went to meet her, there were two women and a man waiting for me. They gave me some food, which was drugged and put me on a train. They forced me to call my brother and tell him that I got a job. Since I was not fully conscious, I could not understand what was happening, where I was going, why I was on a train. All my protests were in vain. Two more men joined us on the way. They took away all my belongings – my mobile phone, my gold jewellery, my slippers… We finally reached Delhi and I stayed at someone’s house for that night. The next day I was sold to a brothel.”

Recounting her days at the brothel, Roshni continues

“I was trapped and helpless. I was beaten with a ladle when I refused to work as a prostitute. I would often think of my children and cry and would again get beaten up for that.”

She has sustained several hand injuries that have left scars as reminders.

Events took a turn for the good when a local shopkeeper near the brothel sympathized with her plight. Soon Roshni was in touch with her brother, Nadim, through the shopkeeper’s mobile phone. She recalls “suddenly I saw some hope. I tried to keep my eyes and ears open and give my brother an idea of my whereabouts.”

Roshni is one of the few miraculous cases of escape, where luck and the vigilance of people came to her rescue. These cases serve as an urgent reminder for us, as a global community, to act in solidarity against the illicit crime of human sex trafficking. It will ensure the safety and protection of the millions of sufferers just like Roshni.

Anti- Slavery day- 18 October

Each year on 18 October, it is Anti-Slavery Day. A day that provides us the opportunity to draw attention and awareness to the subject of human trafficking and to pressure governments, local authorities, public institutions and private and public companies to address the scale and scope of the subject.

It is a day that will inspire people to eliminate the problem and eradicate the wrong.

Today we fight against modern slavery, ensure perpetrators are punished for their appalling crimes against humanity and enhance support and protection of victims. Remember: Don’t let this taboo issue stay hidden- let it come alive. It is suppose to be shocking and controversial but the more people that know, the more we can start the movement towards prosecution of the traffickers and the protection of those trafficked.

Be aware. Serve the Right. Join the movement today.

 #BreakTheTraffik

JV

How You Can help: Tips for recognising victims of sex trafficking

Tip 1: Sex trafficking victims are often found on the streets or working in establishments that offer commercialised sex acts, i.e. brothels, strip clubs, pornography production houses.

Such establishments may operate under the guise of:

• Massage parlours
• Escort services
• Adult bookstores
• Modelling studios
• Bars/strips clubs

Tip 2: Visible indicators of sexual exploitation

• Heavy security at the commercial establishment including barred windows, locked doors, isolated location, electronic surveillance. Women are never seen leaving the premises unless escorted
• Victims live and sleep at the same premises as the brothel or work site. If they are in transit to location or in between quarters it is usually under a watchful eyes and wings of a guard.
• Signs of substance abuse or misuse
• High foot traffic especially for brothels where there may be trafficked women indicated often by large streams of men arriving and leaving the premises.

Tip 3: Profile of a Trafficking Victim

Introducing stories: The survivors and the victims

Within the next week we will putting face to the stories. We will be introducing to you four compelling stories of four different females who have fallen into sex trafficking in Asia- 2 of which are from Thailand.

Mrs. B, Karen, Roshni & Memey. Remember these names because their stories will come alive. It is suppose to be shocking and controversial but the more people that know, the more we can start the movement towards the prosecution of traffickers and the protection of trafficked.
‪#‎BreakTheTraffik‬

Remember to visit our ‘Stories’ tab in the menu and Stay tuned!

Be aware. Serve the Right. Join the movement today.

JV