Monday, May 5, 2008

-Human Trafficking-

Human trafficking – the abolition of basic human rights of the victim.

Unlike drugs, humans are a renewable resource. An ounce of cocaine, wholesale: $1200, but you can only sell it once. A human, $50 to $1000, but you can sell them everyday, over and over again. Majority of transnational victims are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation where approximately 80% are women and 50% are minors. While the US government devotes 16 billion to drug trafficking every year, they only choose to expend 50 million on human trafficking.

Methods in recruitment include coercion, deception, fraud or outright abduction. Some also take advantage of poor economic conditions and “buy” children from struggling families.

It is not a stand alone issue. The immense threat to the well being of the victims is significant. To ensure compliance, they are exposed to not only physical abuse, long working hours with zero wages, poor accommodation and no medical care. There have also been cases where victims are drugged during transportation. And even those who manage to escape seldom receive the appropriate help for recovery.

Those victims who suffer from sexual exploitation seldom last for more than a few years in captivity. Some commit suicide, contract Hepatitis A or B, HIV/AIDS or simply die from exhaustion and during transportation.

The saddest part is that this situation exists simply because there’s a demand for it. It can be anyone, your neighbor, doctor, teacher or heaven forbid someone from your family. Men really are the scariest creatures.


| @ 11:05 AM|

- xoxo -