Forced Labor and Sex Traficking in Thailand

Worldwide statistics reveal that each year around 150 million girls and 73 million boys are victims of sexual abuse, (WHO, 2018). Human trafficking is without doubt part of the statistic which causes unspeakable abuse on children and it is driven by profit from criminal business that stacks in a lot of profit reaching almost billion dollars. One of the countries that have a huge problem with child abuse is Thailand. In 2004, studies suggest that over eight hundred thousand child prostitutes in Thailand are under the age of sixteen. Furthermore, in more recent studies it shows that 30 to 40 thousand

Human trafficking has been a controversial issue for many years. There are different types of trafficking, which helps makes it a widely diverse issue. In Thailand, traffickers rely on the poor desperate people of other countries as well as their own to fulfill their needs financially, physically, and emotionally. Thailand has various reasons why they use human trafficking; sex exploitation, forced labor, and obtaining their organs for an organ transplant. Sex exploitation has been used by mainly men for a long time. They choose both women and children to violate, sometimes even men. The prettier the woman is the more she is worth. All men, woman, and children could be forced into labor. This varies from what the owner wants from them. People can also choose to go and work for them because they think this is their only way of making money, but they usually do not see much of it. Finally, others purchase them just for their organs. There are very long waiting lists on some organs, by the time one comes about the person in need of the organ has already passed away. There are a number of steps and reasons that are involved in human trafficking. With all of these issues of; sex exploitations, and forced labor, and organ trafficking, the trafficked can become physically and mentally injured.

Women and children who are being sexually exploited are often found in the urban areas of Thailand, but even rural areas have a share of commercial sex workers (Lau, June 2008). The Thai society is extremely male dominated as men are considered superior to women and hold the government and societal power (Vejar & Quach, May 2013). Foreign investors have a great deal of power in Thailand as the country has become more dependent tourism and manufacturing rather than the traditional small farm economy (Geary & Meyer, June 1993).

“Globalization influences human trafficking as traffickers take advantage of new transparent borders, broadband communication, and economic upheaval to prey on those most vulnerable … people are largely defined by their economic worth, and since the most vulnerable have only their bodies to sell (labor … sex) … human beings become commodities and victims” (Burke 2013). Additionally, chapter four defines population and migration as an explanation for human trafficking. As the world’s population increases dramatically, there are many poor and vulnerable individuals who are forced to find a way to survive. “Traffickers are resourceful, inventive, and opportunistic, and can find a way to manipulate … population growth … there is an increase in the supply of potential victims who traffickers can exploit and from whom they can profit” (Burke 2013). Victims are driven into human trafficking because they are unable to sustain themselves living in poverty, or are vulnerable as an immigrant or refugee.

“We have helped more than five thousand victims of prostitution get back on their feet.” (p.164) AFESIP (Acting for Women in Distressing Situations) and the Somaly Mam foundation in the United States, are the two that she takes the most pride. In the beginning, as she was just starting out her organization, AFESIP, she was able to create a shelter in Phong Phem, with the help of her adoptive family, Mam and Mam Khon it turned out to be successful. It consisted of sewing classes and education classes so the girls could learn trades, sooner they grew larger and Somaly created a shelter just for the teenage girls. She would rescue them from the brothels with the help of the Cambodian police force, move them to the shelters, and transform the girls to better themselves. Somaly notes that even herself has went on some of these dangerous missions herself, even while she was pregnant. She also writes that sometimes the Pimps who owned the brothels would send her threats and try to burn down her old house in the village, Thlok

Mexico is a Tier 2 source, transit, and destination country. It’s primary forms of trafficking are sexual exploitation and forced labor. Men, women, and children are trafficked, but the most vulnerable populations are indigenous peoples, migrants, mentally and physically disables, and LGBT individuals. Victims are forced into labor in the agriculture, domestic, manufacturing, food processing, construction, begging, and street vending services. Many victims are lured by fraudulent recruiters, possibility of romantic relationships, extortion, debt bondage, and the possibility of harm to family members. Women’s shelters and rehabilitation facilities become agencies for traffickers into forced labor and sexual exploitation. Child sex tourism flourishes and tourists come from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. Many Mexican citizens and families exploit children into the commercial sex trade. Organized crime is actively involved and make men, women, and children engage in illicit activities, become assassins, aid as lookouts, and help in the production, transport, and sale of drugs. Government officials at every level either actively participate of are complicit in human trafficking. Many law enforcement, judges, immigration officials extort bribes, partake in sexual services from women and children, falsify documents, facilitate movement across borders, threaten victims if they choose to file a formal complaint, operate and patronize brothels, and refuse to respond

Women and children leave home in search of better lives and that makes them vulnerable to traffickers (Haerens 28). Traffickers lead their victims to believe that they would have a better life than before. One of the biggest offer traffickers present to their victims is that they will have a job if they go with them, but in the end, they will probably not end up with a paying job (Petriligieri 3). Traffickers offer many other solutions such as a bright future, better standard of living, sense of belonging and love (Pittaro 3). People living in impoverished areas do not have the same opportunity to get an education as we, in the United States, do (“Global Recession” 1). In the Philippines they “sweet talk” the parents to allow their daughters to leave their homes and work in Manila as “domestic helpers with promises of huge salaries that they would be able to send back home to help their families” (“Human Trafficking Is Caused” 1). Once they get there, they end up in forced labor or prostitution ( Haerens

It’s every human being’s responsibility to help prevent victims from suffering from physical and psychological aguish, one from which they’ll never fully overcome having survived human trafficking. Jones et al. (2007) stated, “political unrest, or (having) weak or corrupt infrastructures combined with widespread poverty, are breeding grounds for international criminal networks” (p. 113). Reducing the amount of corrupt officials and increasing the amount of supervision that goes on in both border crossing and local officials, a decrease in trafficking would follow since they’re vital to keep this business

The US State Department classifies China as a source, transit, and destination country for sex trafficking . Human trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is the second largest form of organized crime in Asia. China is a common thread in many of the complex trafficking networks working in Asia. The Human Trafficking Organization reports, China transits victims from all over the world to Thailand and Malaysia. In addition to transiting, China is a popular destination country, importing women throughout the region from Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, and North Korea . Analyzing the attitude, culture, and opinion shifts through Chinese media will shed further light on the human trafficking phenomenon and look at the regional impact, due to China’s extensive involvement in sex trafficking.

Importantly, extreme poverty is notably the highest “push” factor that increases susceptibility to human trafficking (Stevens and Berishaj, 2016, page 51)

The efforts from the United States to promote education in Cambodia are revealed as one of the possible solution. Yet it is then discussed that such efforts were not fully successful for all girls. In particular, Kun Sokkea was not able to get her education, even with repeated tries, due to financial pressure. The second solution for women in prostitution focuses on regulations on prostitution. In particular, a place in India, Sonagachi, is introduced where brothel service

Traffickers are the economically powerful and dominant group in our society and victims are the economic minority (Dunn, 2007, p. 42-43). Victims also strip of their identifications, passports and money by the traffickers and are said to owe the traffickers a debt for transportation. Traffickers are led by greed and display their dominance by victimizing children through the use of control, deception, manipulation, violence and sex until they bend and break the trafficked child into doing whatever is asked of them (“Survivor Stories”, 2014). Traffickers also take children away from everything that they know, such as their families and their countries and so they are literally dependent on their traffickers for everything.

Human trafficking is prevalent throughout the world, especially in Asia and more specifically in China but the government and non-governmental organizations (NGO) are taking measures to put an end to it. Human trafficking involves exploitation of human beings; either sexually or by coercing them to work in unfavourable conditions for little pay or nothing at all. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines human trafficking as “the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.” Women and children, especially girls between the ages of fourteen and twenty constitute the majority of victims of human trafficking. “China is a source, transit and destination country

The state of social and economic disarray that plagues villages surrounding Thailand makes them easy prey for trafficking. According to Toward Freedom, and organization dedicated to advancement of human rights, peace, justice, enlightenment, and freedom from oppression, “Brothel owners have networks of agents combing the villages for troubled families with daughters, making tempting offers of good jobs in the big cities and resort areas” (“Toward”). The most common scenario for troubled families is that they are in debt and are without proper paying jobs. Families are offered up to an entire year’s salary and are also told their children will be going to a better life. Many families know they can’t support their children and see this as their only option. The economic issue prevalent is not unique to Thailand. According to Asia Times, an organization designed to report on Asian political, economic and business

For last few months our attention has been fixed at newspaper headlines that read the news about human trafficking from South Asia distained to Southeast Asian countries–especially to Malaysia and Thailand–through the sea. Evidently, most of the identified trafficked victims, for last few months, are Rohingya Muslims–who are persecuted from their own country, Myanmar–and rests of them are Bangladeshi. There are several organized mafia-groups, connected throughout Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia, involved with human trafficking in this region.