Human Trafficking in Thailand

“All is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”, - Edmund Burke.

Last Thursday, Michelle Williams, a student and human trafficking activist, gave a lecture on the horrors of the human slave trade taking place in Thailand. A couple of friends and I heard about the event through a flyer in BMU. Since I am going to Cambodia in the Fall to shoot a documentary about human trafficking, I thought that such information would be helpful.

Michelle's trip to Thailand last year was a trip of discovery and illumination for her, and her photographs were very compelling. Seeing the faces of the girls who “work” in the bars in the city tore me up inside. According to Michelle, the culture on the whole, is taught to be happy and always have a smile on their face. This is especially true around other foreigners as Thai feel compelled to always be smiling. Michelle had told us that once she got the girls by themselves, she had to reassure them multiple times that is was okay and that they didn't need to smile.

Unfortunately, a large source of income for human and sex trafficking in Thailand comes from rich businessmen from parts of Asia, Europe, South America, and North America. According to what Michelle had told us, as well as what I've read, the “customers” fly in for a short while and go to the bars where girls dance for the them. After given a preview, the men then choose one, or sometime multiple girls and the rest I'd rather not say.

During the presentation, Michelle not only showed us pictures of the bars, but small, remote villages that were striving to survive. Much of the problem of human trafficking is due to the country's poor economy and the high level of poverty. One such community that she showed us was entirely self-sufficient as villagers depended entirely on the environment for survival. However, with many other poor sections of Thailand, residents of these impoverished communities have no way of providing income for their survival. With no other seemingly possible options, many parents of these families “sell” their children, or sell their virginity for a very high price. Sometimes, the price of selling their children can bring in a couple years salary, and to the parents, it is worth it. I often ask myself how could the parents do such a atrocious thing, but with dire circumstances, come dire options. I am in no way endorsing the decisions of the parents, but from an outsider's perspective, it helps bring understanding to the situation out there.

After Michelle had finished giving her presentation, I felt almost physically sick with sorrow. I can't imagine the emotional trauma that these young girls go through. To think that many of them have never really had a childhood, but were forced to go through a perverted lifestyle is unimaginable. It's too easy to try and offer quick solutions to this problem. Certainly, many of the students had offered their opinions and resolutions to the problem, but every one of them seemed so naïve. The problem is obviously bigger than all of us, but if we can begin to understand what is going on then that is the first step towards change.