1. What were your impressions of this documentary?
with a heavy heart, most sadness, I watched the documentary named Sex Slaves. The victim Katia'returning home is cheering, but what she and her husband experienced till the final adjudgement to the flagrant trafficker is absolutely unimagined and unpredicted—a pregnant wife is sold, sufferring unbelievable damage both mental and physical; a praiseworthy husband undergoes so much twists and turns; a flagitious trafficker eventually gets only a 5-year probation. From the cause and the process of trafficking, we do see a trafficking chain—middleman, agent and employer. But only the simple chain is in operation? the answer is no. Besides the chain, law enforcement and corruption are an unassailable contributing factor to push human trafficking forward. Compared with the victims' unfortunate, this is a huge unfortunate of our communities. It is especially unfortunate in circumstances like those that surround human trafficking because the very people who ought to help trafficked persons cannot always be counted on.
2. Can we win the fight against sex trafficking?
It is very difficult to win the fight against sex trafficking. As long as corruption, poverty and trafficker exist at the same time, to stop the tragedy will be impossible. But I do believe human trafficking cases will eventually die out.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Week 11 Homework
(homework1-writing an introduction and conclusion)
Introduction:
Happy marriage is the desirable target of almost every couple. Some couples make it last long as to lifetime, while some do experience conflicts and eventually breakup. What are the possible factors resulting in the strengthened or destroyed? Different situations have dissimilar answers. The stories "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses" and "The Necklace" reveal a lot about what can make or break a marriage.'
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the odds of a marriage depend on lots of components. Respect, concentration, understanding and forgiveness probably keep a marriage thrive; disrespect, unconcern, selfishness easily lead to an unfortunate or at least unharmonious marriage.
(Homework2 -feeling after reading sniper)
1. How do you feel through most of the story? Are you 'cheering' for the sniper?
NO.I feel sad. I hate war. It is the war that blows peace away and makes kind people become cruel and unkind. human beings should originally live together peacefully, sharing happiness
2. Do your feelings about him change at the end?
Yes. At the beginning, it was a little cheering because eventually the sniper killed his "enemy" , saving his life. But when the dead body was identified, sadness surrounds me. In real life, many things happen like the story.
It is difficult to decide or predict what is the optimal decision at the beginning, sometimes you probably have to experience before telling right from wrong.
3. What do you think is the theme?
Pitiless war
Introduction:
Happy marriage is the desirable target of almost every couple. Some couples make it last long as to lifetime, while some do experience conflicts and eventually breakup. What are the possible factors resulting in the strengthened or destroyed? Different situations have dissimilar answers. The stories "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses" and "The Necklace" reveal a lot about what can make or break a marriage.'
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the odds of a marriage depend on lots of components. Respect, concentration, understanding and forgiveness probably keep a marriage thrive; disrespect, unconcern, selfishness easily lead to an unfortunate or at least unharmonious marriage.
(Homework2 -feeling after reading sniper)
1. How do you feel through most of the story? Are you 'cheering' for the sniper?
NO.I feel sad. I hate war. It is the war that blows peace away and makes kind people become cruel and unkind. human beings should originally live together peacefully, sharing happiness
2. Do your feelings about him change at the end?
Yes. At the beginning, it was a little cheering because eventually the sniper killed his "enemy" , saving his life. But when the dead body was identified, sadness surrounds me. In real life, many things happen like the story.
It is difficult to decide or predict what is the optimal decision at the beginning, sometimes you probably have to experience before telling right from wrong.
3. What do you think is the theme?
Pitiless war
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Week11 Assignment Post(necklace woman)
1. Did you like this story? Why/why not?
Yes. Because this story calls for deep thought. Tt tells us what vanity means and how a person is affected by vanity by means of a woman's real experience.In fact,the story tells us vanity is harmful and should be avoided.
2. What can we learn about vanity?
Vanity is a desire definitely not worth being advocated, the result brought by vanity is miserable and abominating. A person who admires vanity will eventually suffer from vanity.
3. How would you compare this couple to Michael and Frances?
Compared with Michaels and Frances, the misfortune of this couple results from the wife instead of the husband. It is the wife’s (Mathilde ) vanity that causes the family to undergo a 10-year hard time. The pain lying in the wife’s interior heart is incurred by herself rather then the husband. However, the emotional estrangement between this couple is not as severe as Michael and Frances, the conflict between the couple mainly focuses on money, and does not upgrade to a degree of destroying harmony between them. Therefore ,the problem is relatively easy to solve. For Michael and Frances, emotional depart is more prominent , not focusing or concentrating on the partner is against marriage commitment. Due to the contradictory of pure emotion ,it is more difficult to be solved.
Yes. Because this story calls for deep thought. Tt tells us what vanity means and how a person is affected by vanity by means of a woman's real experience.In fact,the story tells us vanity is harmful and should be avoided.
2. What can we learn about vanity?
Vanity is a desire definitely not worth being advocated, the result brought by vanity is miserable and abominating. A person who admires vanity will eventually suffer from vanity.
3. How would you compare this couple to Michael and Frances?
Compared with Michaels and Frances, the misfortune of this couple results from the wife instead of the husband. It is the wife’s (Mathilde ) vanity that causes the family to undergo a 10-year hard time. The pain lying in the wife’s interior heart is incurred by herself rather then the husband. However, the emotional estrangement between this couple is not as severe as Michael and Frances, the conflict between the couple mainly focuses on money, and does not upgrade to a degree of destroying harmony between them. Therefore ,the problem is relatively easy to solve. For Michael and Frances, emotional depart is more prominent , not focusing or concentrating on the partner is against marriage commitment. Due to the contradictory of pure emotion ,it is more difficult to be solved.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Thesis and Topic Sentences(week8 assignment)
Thesis:My job in an apple plant is dreadful.
topic sentence 1. The work was physically hard.
topic sentence 2. The pay was poor.
topic sentence 3. The working conditions were dismal.
The interesting about the second and third topic sentences is that the person seems to constantly deny the last stated point, which makes readers feel what he complains is not worthy of being considered and nothing is dreadful except the last point.
topic sentence 1. The work was physically hard.
topic sentence 2. The pay was poor.
topic sentence 3. The working conditions were dismal.
The interesting about the second and third topic sentences is that the person seems to constantly deny the last stated point, which makes readers feel what he complains is not worthy of being considered and nothing is dreadful except the last point.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Human Trafficking(Week7 Post2- Esay Reseach)
Human Trafficking
Coming into our eyeshot is a careworn boy. His hands are scarred and callused from the repetition of tying thousands of knots every day. His eyesight is weakened from 14-hour work shifts in a dark room. Poor ventilation has left his lungs filled with wool fibers and dust (Synovitz).Nadeem, an only 12-year-old boy but enslaved as long as 8 years hunched over a carpet loom, is a victim of human trafficking(Synovitz).
Nadeem’s story is just one of 2 million that happen to children around the world every year. Human trafficking is a worldwide tragedy that can only be stopped if the public understands it.
Victims are admittedly abused physically and emotionally and sometimes even killed. Human trafficking comes in many forms. Maria，a 30-year-old mother from Ukraine，was sold for sexual exploitation instead of promised as a cleaner. In Italy, Maria was forced to have sex with 10 different men within a single day. She was beaten brutally whenever she refused. And if a customer complained about her performance, the brothel owner added a fine to her debt -- prolonging her sentence as a sex slave. Her nightmare lasted for nine months(Synovitz). Victims are also sold for cheap labor. Rajila, age 30, left her home in India to work in Saudi Arabia based on promises of a good salary and free housing from a company that supplies laborers for hospitals. Rajila was forced to work 12-hour shifts, six days a week. She was never paid. The promised "free" housing was excruciatingly confining, and she was locked in her room after work. She and other Muslim laborers from India were not allowed to practice their faith in local mosques. Rajila left Saudi Arabia taking with her no accumulated salary from three and a half years of uninterrupted work (Synovitz). Ricardo was controlled under agents and contractors for 4 years long. Ricardo , together with a group of others, spent eight days lost in the Sonoran desert where the agent deserted them leaving nothing except food and water supplies for three days, then took a week van-packed journey to Florida with nothing to eat before another exploiter handed them over to a man. They were sold to a labour contractor for US$1,100 each. Every day they were enslaved on tomato farms in Florida from 5.00am until 7.00pm. “I was practically dying” says Ricardo, “we didn't eat very well, the water was polluted that we were drinking.The next day I was sick from bad food and I was weak and I couldn't work. But that wasn't enough. They made me work, I had no choice….” He was left with only $10 monthly after being charged for his debt, rent, electricity, water and food. Ricardo and five of his co-workers managed to escape. But even Now Ricardo still receives anonymous threats by phone, and on one occasion, was threatened by a man with a gun (CampaignON). Naseema was forced by her mother into marriage at the age of four to a 30-year-old neighbor in an Afghan village. At her husband’s home, her treatment included beatings and starvation, and she was forced to sleep outside in the cold with only a rug to protect her. Her abusers often used her as a human table, forcing her to lie on her stomach so they could cut their food on her bare back…. her father-in-law tied her hands together and poured scalding water over her head (“Students”).
All the above victims were tricked，lured or forced away from their families and were forced to work against their will. They have no dignity, no freedom, no control over their own livelihood. They were owned or controlled, usually under threat of violence, other penalties or even being killed, and experience permanent physical and psychological ordeal.
Human trafficking is a global scourge and almost every country is affected. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which has compiled the first such study from open sources, there are 127 countries of origin, mainly developing countries, and 137 destination countries, mainly in the industrialized world. The report also highlights 98 transit countries（Penketh）”The fact that slavery - in the form of human trafficking - still exists in the 21st century shames us all," said UNODC's chief, Antonio Maria Costa.” it was difficult to name a country that is not affected in some way."( Penketh).The ILO’s (International Labor Organization) latest Global Report on forced labour (ILO, 2005) published the results of a minimum estimation of forced labour in the world. There are at least 12.3 million people in forced labour worldwide. Of these 12.3 million, there are 2.5 million people who are forced to work by the state, the army or rebel military groups. The remaining 9.8 million people are exploited by private agents and enterprises. Of these, the ILO calculates that about 1.4 million are forced commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and 7.8 million are in forced economic exploitation (EE) (Belser). UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) also published Worldwide Trafficking Estimates (see attached Data Comparison Sheet #1) (UNESCO). These striking figures give us a clear summary about how serious this problem is. But it must be noticed that the given statistic is based on official estimates in previous years( 2004, 2005) and the term minimum is used. Like all estimates, the reliability is subject to sampling and other errors. In particular, there is a large degree of uncertainty about the real extend. So the estimate is more likely to be an underestimate of the true scale. If all factors including recent two years increment are taken into account, the result would be more appalling.
Some typical countries contribute greatly to the thrive of modern-day slavery. Germany, Greece and France are among about a dozen countries identified as having a "high" incidence of acting as transit countries. Ten countries are named as the top destinations for trafficking victims: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Thailand, Turkey and the US. Britain is on the "high" index of destination countries (Penketh).The so-called "Eastern Route" through Poland and into Germany is a key overland corridor for smuggling women into the European Union from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and the Baltics. The cities of Prague, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt also are common destinations. Large numbers of these women also reportedly end up in Italy, Greece, Belgium and Austria (Synivitz). In Asia, Japan is the major destination country for trafficked women, especially from the Philippines and Thailand. The US State Department has rated Japan as either a ‘Tier 2’ or a ‘Tier 2 Watchlist’ country every year since 2001 in its annual Trafficking in Persons reports. There are currently an estimated 300,000 women and children involved in the sex trade throughout Southeast Asia (qut.Wikipedia）.Thailand's child-trafficking business is believed to amount to some $2.5 billion a year.（Blua）. According to Ambassador John Miller, the director of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, North Korea was rated as a Tier 3 country, the least favorable rating in 2005.Between 80 percent and 90 percent of the refugees from North Korea, especially women and young children, end up as trafficking victims in China (Bullock) .The United States has become a major importer of sex slaves. Last year, the C.I.A. estimated that between 18,000 and 20,000 people are trafficked annually into the United States. Kevin Bales, president of Free the Slaves, America's largest anti-slavery organization, says that the number is at least 10,000 a year. Bales estimates that there are 30,000 to 50,000 sex slaves in captivity in the United States at any given time (Landesman).
There many causes of human trafficking. One cause is poverty. Najeya, a 20-year-old Afghan woman with her father debilitated by a kidney operation and her mother too old to work, took a job as a cleaner and was sexually abused by her employer on a regular basis. Yet, after secretly receiving an abortion, he returned to the same job. “The one thing I can think of that is the cause of these stories is extreme poverty,” Saddat, a friend of Najeya, said “The desperation from living as a refugee in a foreign country. Although they are victims of sexual attacks, they still go back to the same job after treatment because they are obliged to do so."( STOPVAW). Uncountable trafficked examples reveal that it is poverty and bleak career prospects that pushed them to search for a better life. The second cause is abduction of criminal gangs. In Eastern European capitals like Kiev and Moscow, dozens of sex-trafficking rings advertise nanny positions in the United States in local newspapers; others claim to be scouting for models and actresses. One expert say “I saw a billboard with a fresh-faced, smiling young woman beckoning girls to waitress positions in Paris. But of course there are no waitress positions and no ‘Paris.’ Some of these young women are actually tricked into paying their own travel expenses -- typically around $3,000….” (Landesman).The third cause is regional imbalances and corruption in government. Most migrants in Moscow come from former Soviet countries, where living standards plummeted after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The vast majority work illegally and lack the documents for legal residency. This makes them particularly vulnerable to corrupt police officers, whom they have to bribe so as not to be officially reported to the police.Their illegal status also prevents them from bargaining about pay or seeking justice if they are abused（Bigg）.
Some other causes of trafficking include:
· perceived higher standards of life elsewhere
· lack of employment opportunities
· regional imbalances
· economic disparities
· social discrimination
· political instability
· armed conflict
· uprooting of communities because of mega projects without proper Resttlement and Rehabilitation packages.
· Profitability
· Growing deprivation and marginalization of the poor
· Insufficient penalties against traffickers
· According to the UN a major factor that has allowed the growth of sexual trafficking is "Governments and human rights organizations alike have simply judged the woman guilty of prostitution and minimized the trafficker's role."[50]
· Driven by demand; demand is high for prostitutes and other forms of labor in host countries; therefore there is a very profitable market available to those who wish to become handlers. (qut.Wikipedia)
Trafficking in people are attributed by different factors: the supply of encouraged victims, the presence of exploiters, and vast consumers. Modern slavery will continue to exist as long as there are economically desperate people and a lack of political will by authorities to enforce existing laws.
There many causes of human trafficking. One cause is poverty. Najeya, a 20-year-old Afghan woman with her father debilitated by a kidney operation and her mother too old to work, took a job as a cleaner and was sexually abused by her employer on a regular basis. Yet, after secretly receiving an abortion, he returned to the same job. “The one thing I can think of that is the cause of these stories is extreme poverty,” Saddat, a friend of Najeya, said “The desperation from living as a refugee in a foreign country. Although they are victims of sexual attacks, they still go back to the same job after treatment because they are obliged to do so."( STOPVAW). Uncountable trafficked examples reveal that it is poverty and bleak career prospects that pushed them to search for a better life. The second cause is abduction of criminal gangs. In Eastern European capitals like Kiev and Moscow, dozens of sex-trafficking rings advertise nanny positions in the United States in local newspapers; others claim to be scouting for models and actresses. One expert say “I saw a billboard with a fresh-faced, smiling young woman beckoning girls to waitress positions in Paris. But of course there are no waitress positions and no ‘Paris.’ Some of these young women are actually tricked into paying their own travel expenses -- typically around $3,000….” (Landesman).The third cause is regional imbalances and corruption in government. Most migrants in Moscow come from former Soviet countries, where living standards plummeted after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The vast majority work illegally and lack the documents for legal residency. This makes them particularly vulnerable to corrupt police officers, whom they have to bribe so as not to be officially reported to the police.Their illegal status also prevents them from bargaining about pay or seeking justice if they are abused（Bigg）.
Some other causes of trafficking include:
· perceived higher standards of life elsewhere
· lack of employment opportunities
· regional imbalances
· economic disparities
· social discrimination
· political instability
· armed conflict
· uprooting of communities because of mega projects without proper Resttlement and Rehabilitation packages.
· Profitability
· Growing deprivation and marginalization of the poor
· Insufficient penalties against traffickers
· According to the UN a major factor that has allowed the growth of sexual trafficking is "Governments and human rights organizations alike have simply judged the woman guilty of prostitution and minimized the trafficker's role."[50]
· Driven by demand; demand is high for prostitutes and other forms of labor in host countries; therefore there is a very profitable market available to those who wish to become handlers. (qut.Wikipedia)
Trafficking in people are attributed by different factors: the supply of encouraged victims, the presence of exploiters, and vast consumers. Modern slavery will continue to exist as long as there are economically desperate people and a lack of political will by authorities to enforce existing laws.
Human trafficking remain hidden is the result of contribution from many factors. One fact is human trafficking activities are usually detected when extreme incidents occur. The compelling Lakireddy Bali Reddy case In 1999 was detected only after a victim’death. A young woman named Prattipati died in Reddy’s apartment due to a carbon monoxide leak. After Prattipati’s death, Reddy was recognized that actually many young women from India had been trafficked to work in his restaurant located and to become his personal sex slaves (BUI). Reddy’s case demonstrates that human trafficking is revealed when the victim is physically harmed. Reddy would not have been caught for the illegal trafficking and forced sexual and labor exploitation of young women if Prattipati had not died. Another reason is victims mostly remain voiceless because of various worries. Victims with Illegal identity don’t prosecute traffickers duo to a worry of losing jobs. At Moscow's massive Cherkisovskii market, thousands of vendors from Central Asia and the Caucasus bustle about, calling out to shoppers. Nearly all of them are illegal workers. Asking vendors about their life and work conditions, therefore, tends to elicit evasive comments or nervous looks at the market's burly security guards patrolling in the distance. Most foreign vendors say they will not speak for fear of losing their jobs (Bigg). The public attitude towards to victims is also a n unassailable cause to keep victims hidden. Trafficking victims and survivors are a group of individuals who are under-represented in society. The type of labor victims perform is often stigmatized by the public. This negative attitude would only cause for human trafficking to remain invisible (Bigg). Traffickers often use threats to prevent victims from telling others about their working conditions. In addition, victims may not be familiar with the location they are in and probably can not speak local languages. As a result, victims have difficulty seeking help or escaping. They become vulnerable and depend on their captors for survival.
Some positive measures have been adopted to fight against human traffickers. In order to strengthen the criminal justice ,combat and prevent human trafficking cases, UNODC(united nations on drugs and crime) enacted 《Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children》and《 measures to combat Trafficking in Persons》. The Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings (GPAT) was designed and launched in March 1999(UNODC). Actions taken to combat human trafficking vary from government to government. Some have introduced legislation specifically aimed at making human trafficking illegal. All these measure highlight the involvement of organized criminal groups in human trafficking and will consequentially promote the development of effective ways of cracking down on perpetrators.
Modern-day slavery is a serious threat to almost every nation, including our own. Only when the media informs the public about the extent of this horror can we begin to make a difference. Ending this scourge needs the action of governments, non-government organizations, international organizations, and individuals working together. It’s possible to save millions of women and children if we follow the lead of groups like UNODC, GPAT.
Works Cited
Belser Patrick. “Forced Labor and Human Trafficking : Estimating the Profilts.” 2005. Cornnel university. 24 October, 2007.
.
Bigg Claire. “Russia: Migrants Seek Their Fortunes In Moscow, But Often Find Only Heartache” RadioFreeEurope. 9 June, 2005.24 October, 2007.
Blua Antoine. “World: Child Sex Trade Becoming Lucrative, Pan-Asian Epidemic.” RadioFreeEurope .12 November, 2004. RFE/RL's . 24 October, 2007.
.
Bui Tonia. “Exploitation of Humans in Sex, Labor a Global And Local Issue.” Daily Californian. 20 February, 2007. 24 October, 2007.
<http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=23047>.
Bullock Todd. “North Korean refugees frequent victims of human trafficking.”Reliefweb. 20 July, 2005. United States Department of State. 24 October, 2007.
.
“Date Compasion Sheet #1:Worldwide Trafficking Estimates by Organization.” UNESCO Trafficking Project .04 Mar, 2005.
Landesman Peter. “The Girls Next Door (How Sex Trafficking Works).” RadioFreeEurope .25 January, 2004. 24 October, 2007..
Penketh Anne. “Human Trafficking is 'Slavery That Shames orld'”CommonDreams.org. 24 April, 2006. Independent / UK.24 October, 2007. .
“Slavery Survives, Despite Universal Abolition.” STOPVAW . 30 AUGUST, 2005. 24 October, 2007..
“Stop Human Trafficking: Ricardo’s Story.” CampaignON.com. 24 October,2007..
“Students Stopping the Trafficking of Peaple.” Geogetown University..
Synovitz Ron. “World: Slavery Survives, Despite Universal Abolition.” RadioFreeEurope. 22 August, 2005. RFE/RL's Afghan Service.24 October.2007..
Synovitz Ron. “World: Sex Traffickers Prey On Eastern Europeans.” RadioFreeEurope .23 August, 2005. RFE/RL's Afghan Service.24 October.2007..
“The Facts About Human Trafficking for Forced Labor.” U.S.Department of State. Washington, DC. July 25, 2005. 24 October, 2007..
“Trafficking in Human Beings” UNODC.25 October, 2007.26 October,2007. < http://www.unodc.org/unodc/trafficking_human_beings.html>.
“Trafficking in Human Beings.” Wikipedia. October 2006. 24 October, 2007.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficking_in_human_beings>.
Some positive measures have been adopted to fight against human traffickers. In order to strengthen the criminal justice ,combat and prevent human trafficking cases, UNODC(united nations on drugs and crime) enacted 《Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children》and《 measures to combat Trafficking in Persons》. The Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings (GPAT) was designed and launched in March 1999(UNODC). Actions taken to combat human trafficking vary from government to government. Some have introduced legislation specifically aimed at making human trafficking illegal. All these measure highlight the involvement of organized criminal groups in human trafficking and will consequentially promote the development of effective ways of cracking down on perpetrators.
Modern-day slavery is a serious threat to almost every nation, including our own. Only when the media informs the public about the extent of this horror can we begin to make a difference. Ending this scourge needs the action of governments, non-government organizations, international organizations, and individuals working together. It’s possible to save millions of women and children if we follow the lead of groups like UNODC, GPAT.
Works Cited
Belser Patrick. “Forced Labor and Human Trafficking : Estimating the Profilts.” 2005. Cornnel university. 24 October, 2007.
Bigg Claire. “Russia: Migrants Seek Their Fortunes In Moscow, But Often Find Only Heartache” RadioFreeEurope. 9 June, 2005.24 October, 2007.
Blua Antoine. “World: Child Sex Trade Becoming Lucrative, Pan-Asian Epidemic.” RadioFreeEurope .12 November, 2004. RFE/RL's . 24 October, 2007.
Bui
<http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=23047>.
Bullock Todd. “North Korean refugees frequent victims of human trafficking.”Reliefweb. 20 July, 2005. United States Department of State. 24 October, 2007.
“Date Compasion Sheet #1:Worldwide Trafficking Estimates by Organization.” UNESCO Trafficking Project .04 Mar, 2005.
Landesman Peter. “The Girls Next Door (How Sex Trafficking Works).” RadioFreeEurope .25 January, 2004. 24 October, 2007.
Penketh Anne. “Human Trafficking is 'Slavery That Shames orld'”CommonDreams.org. 24 April, 2006.
“Slavery Survives, Despite Universal Abolition.” STOPVAW . 30 AUGUST, 2005. 24 October, 2007.
“Stop Human Trafficking: Ricardo’s Story.” CampaignON.com. 24 October,2007.
“Students Stopping the Trafficking of Peaple.” Geogetown University.
Synovitz Ron. “World: Slavery Survives, Despite Universal Abolition.” RadioFreeEurope. 22 August, 2005. RFE/RL's Afghan Service.24 October.2007.
Synovitz Ron. “World: Sex Traffickers Prey On Eastern Europeans.” RadioFreeEurope .23 August, 2005. RFE/RL's Afghan Service.24 October.2007.
“The Facts About Human Trafficking for Forced Labor.” U.S.Department of State. Washington, DC. July 25, 2005. 24 October, 2007.
“Trafficking in Human Beings” UNODC.25 October, 2007.26 October,2007. <
“Trafficking in Human Beings.” Wikipedia. October 2006. 24 October, 2007.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficking_in_human_beings>.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Week7 Post1(what are causes of human being?)
There many causes of human trafficking. One cause is poverty. Najeya, a 20-year-old Afghan woman with her father debilitated by a kidney operation and her mother too old to work, took a job as a cleaner and was sexually abused by her employer on a regular basis. Yet, after secretly receiving an abortion, he returned to the same job. "The one thing I can think of that is the cause of these stories is extreme poverty," Saddat, a friend of Najeya, said "The desperation from living as a refugee in a foreign country. Although they are victims of sexual attacks, they still go back to the same job after treatment because they are obliged to do so." ( STOPVAW). Uncountable trafficked examples reveal that it is poverty and bleak career prospects that pushed them to search for a better life, and were then abused. The second cause is abduction of criminal gangs. In Eastern European capitals like Kiev and Moscow, dozens of sex-trafficking rings advertise nanny positions in the United States in local newspapers; others claim to be scouting for models and actresses. One expert say "I saw a billboard with a fresh-faced, smiling young woman beckoning girls to waitress positions in Paris. But of course there are no waitress positions and no 'Paris.' Some of these young women are actually tricked into paying their own travel expenses -- typically around $3,000…." (Landesman).The third cause is regional imbalances and corruption in government. Most migrants in Moscow come from former Soviet countries, where living standards plummeted after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The vast majority work illegally and lack the documents for legal residency. This makes them particularly vulnerable to corrupt police officers, whom they have to bribe so as not to be officially reported to the police.Their illegal status also prevents them from bargaining about pay or seeking justice if they are abused（Bigg）. Trafficking in people are attributed by different factors: the supply of encouraged victims, the presence of exploiters, and vast so-called employers. Modern slavery will continue to exist as long as there are economically desperate people and a lack of political will by authorities to enforce existing laws.
Works Cited
Works Cited
Bigg Claire. "Russia: Migrants Seek Their Fortunes In Moscow, But Often Find Only Heartache"
RadioFreeEurope. 9 June, 2005.24 October, 2007.
Landesman Peter. "The Girls Next Door (How Sex Trafficking Works)." RadioFreeEurope .25
January, 2004. 24 October, 2007.
"Slavery Survives, Despite Universal Abolition." STOPVAW . 30 AUGUST, 2005. 24 October,
2007.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
My questions and links.
1. What happens to the victims?
b) http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/feb/07/smuggling_victim_tells_tale_trip_brought_her_immok/
c) http://www.amw.com/features/feature_story_detail.cfm?id=1486
d) http://www.afrika.no/Detailed/13574.html
e)
c) http://www.amw.com/features/feature_story_detail.cfm?id=1486
d) http://www.afrika.no/Detailed/13574.html
e)
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/mar/01/human_trafficking_horror_stories_shared_program/http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/6/6419a957-0890-445e-8be4-4a9259c149b5.html?rapage=3
2. Worldwide, how serious is this problem?
a) http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=forcedlabor
b)http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/doc_centre/crime/trafficking/doc/report_expert_group_1204_en.pdf
c) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/slaves/etc/stats.html
3. In what countries does the modern-day slavery thrive prominently ?
a)http://www.japantoday.com/jp/feature/1198
a) http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=forcedlabor
b)http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/doc_centre/crime/trafficking/doc/report_expert_group_1204_en.pdf
c) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/slaves/etc/stats.html
3. In what countries does the modern-day slavery thrive prominently ?
a)http://www.japantoday.com/jp/feature/1198
d)http://www.naplesnews.com/news/human_trafficking/
4. How do human traffickers operate their business?
4. How do human traffickers operate their business?
b)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficking_in_human_beings
5. What are the typical features of victims involved in human trafficking?
5. What are the typical features of victims involved in human trafficking?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficking_in_human_beings
6. Why Trafficking victims and survivors remain hidden?
a)http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=23047
b)http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A73621
7. What effective measures have been adopted to fight against human traffickers around the world?
a) http://www.legislationline.org/legislation.php?tid=178&lid=3226
b) http://www.unodc.org/unodc/trafficking_human_beings.html
c)http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l33072.htm
d)http://www.legislationline.org/upload/legislations/6e/57/156afe39fcc820af8679ffecd1c4.pdf
6. Why Trafficking victims and survivors remain hidden?
a)http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=23047
b)http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A73621
7. What effective measures have been adopted to fight against human traffickers around the world?
a) http://www.legislationline.org/legislation.php?tid=178&lid=3226
b) http://www.unodc.org/unodc/trafficking_human_beings.html
c)http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l33072.htm
d)http://www.legislationline.org/upload/legislations/6e/57/156afe39fcc820af8679ffecd1c4.pdf
8. What are the most frequent countries people are trafficking from?
a)http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EGUA-6EHKVX?OpenDocument
b)http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=28964
Why it is hard to prosecute sex trafficking cases in US( revised version with references)
There are several reasons why it is hard to prosecute sex trafficking cases in the US. For one thing, the victims are scared to testify. One victim, a 19-year girl rescued by Okaloosa County Florida police had been taught to fear law enforcement. "The young woman was so terrified that she trembled with fear and wouldn’t utter a word to sheriff’s deputies and investigators, let alone cooperate with an investigation aimed at prosecuting her exploiters."(Donahue). Another thing is the victims want to forget about their experience as soon as possible. A trafficking case needs a long time. Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said “If the offenses have escalated to criminal offenses that would warrant a jury trial, convincing victims to stay in the United States for another year to testify at trial is nearly impossible…. These victims don’t want to stick around for two years and put their life back home on hold to testify. They want to go home and forget about it….”( Donahue).The unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities is one of the biggest obstacles in putting criminals behind bars.
Works Cited
Donahue, Patrick."Human Trafficking: a Million-Dollar Industry in Destin. " Florida Freedom Newspapers. 22 September, 2007. 15 October 2007. http://senecac.on.ca.
Works Cited
Donahue, Patrick."Human Trafficking: a Million-Dollar Industry in Destin. " Florida Freedom Newspapers. 22 September, 2007. 15 October 2007. http://senecac.on.ca.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Helping Vitms of Human Trafficking
Dreams of a better life often end in a brothel for the victims of human trafficking, with the people smugglers and slave traders who bring them there making a lucrative living from their misery.
Protecting trafficking victims' human rights in destination countries before and after they get away is one of the topics the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is looking at during a human trafficking conference beginning in Helsinki on Thursday.
"Special attention will be given to the protection of trafficking victims," Helga Konrad, the OSCE's Special Representative in Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, said.
Figures on the number of internationally smuggled people vary greatly. A US State Department report in June estimated that 600,000 and 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year, while other groups put the figure as high as 4 million.
The average estimate among international organizations is that about 2 million people taken out of their home countries each year, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Lured by false promises
Uta Ludwig and her colleagues at the Bella Donna victim advice center in the eastern German city of Frankfurt on the Oder, have seen many of the women, mostly from eastern Europe, who managed to escape from the clutches of their captors.
Bildunterschrift: False promises trick eastern European women into leaving homeLocated close to the German-Polish border, most women at the Bella Donna center are from Russia, Romania and Bulgaria, are between 19 and 22 years old and were lured away from home by false promises, Ludwig said.
Women like Oxana (name changed), whose boss in the Ukraine told her he organized a job for her in a Spanish bakery, and that a friend of his in Germany would help her get a plane ticket.
Everything is different away from home
But once in a foreign environment, the situation changes.
"I had to wait three days for my plane, he said it was Christmas and that too many people wanted to fly," Oxana said."Then he said I could get a job in Germany. He took me to a brothel and said 'This is your bakery, you can earn your dough here.'"
Stuck in a country where they don't speak the language and without any money, the women have few possibilities to get away from the people smugglers. Horror stories of what would happen to them at the hands of immigration keep them afraid of running away.
After three months, Oxana did manage to escape and told police about the women forced to work in the brothel. Evidence she gave at the trial helped in convicting the German man who forced her into prostitution. He was sentenced to four and half years in jail.
Talking with authorities isn't always safe
Bildunterschrift: Testifying against traffickers is often dangerous for the women involvedTestifying also put Oxana in danger. She's afraid her old boss or her now-convicted pimp's accomplices will try to kill her. Because she was a witness in the case, Oxana is allowed to remain in Germany for the time being.
Other women are deported back to their home countries, Ludwig, of the victims' advice center, said. On average, they are allowed to stay for six months.
Better rights in destination countries
"What's needed here in Germany is a right to remain here," Ludwig said.
However, the women often do not want to stay in a foreign country, away from the support of their families, any longer than they have to.
"Most of these women want to go back," Ludwig said. "They don't want to stay in Germany and Germany always tends to block any discussion about a right to stay here."
The feeling that governments are unwilling to allow human trafficking victims to stay in the country is exactly what the OSCE conference hopes to change.
Some OSCE countries already have more accommodating rules. In Italy, victims are given both residence and work permits and in Sweden, the men who use forced prostitutes can also be prosecuted.
"The ultimate goal of all our anti-trafficking work, measures and activities must be a clear reduction of this horrendous crime and human rights violation," Konrad, the OSCE special representative, said. "Anti-trafficking initiatives must offer tangible prospects of escaping the cycle of poverty, abuse and exploitation."
Fuxiang li(week5 assignment)
There are several reasons why it is hard to prosecute sex trafficking cases in the US.
The first reason is the prosecutors are tough to be available. For one thing, the victims are scared to testify. Take the victim for an example，the 19-year girl had been conditioned by those who brought her to Okaloosa County to fear law enforcement. The young woman was so terrified that she trembled with fear and wouldn’t utter a word to sheriff’s deputies and investigators, let alone cooperate with an investigation aimed at prosecuting her exploiters. In addition, according to U.S Constitution, someone has the right to face their accusers in court, which undoubtedly makes accusers feel full of worries. Another thing is the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities. Practically, either finding the victims or identifying perpetrators took a long time. Furthermore, there’s surveillance over what was done and multiple jurisdictions. Both of with resulted in seeing an arrest for a trafficking case needs long time. But for the victims, they preferred to get back home as soon as they could rather than to spend long time on testifying against exploiters. Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said “If the offenses have escalated to criminal offenses that would warrant a jury trial, convincing victims to stay in the United States for another year to testify at trial is nearly impossible…. These victims don’t want to stick around for two years and put their life back home on hold to testify. They want to go home and forget about it….” The unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities is one of the biggest obstacles in putting criminals behind bars.
The second reason is arrests and prosecutions are hard to come by.
With human trafficking, given the international crime syndicates often involved in operations across the country, which obviously made both investigation and arrest extra tough.
The third reason is tipstaff's personal demarche makes traffickers away from punishment. For example,Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said he measured his success not by arrests and prosecutions but by how many people he could rescue from potentially dangerous situations and then relocated them out of harm’s way. Likely, Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris also claimed sometimes they had to prosecute other offenses to shut down the operation, he was going to be persistent in doing everything as he could to put traffickers out of business in Okaloosa County.
The fourth reason is rules and regulations of U.S law make exploiters free of law enforcement. Firstly, Some of the programs are legitimate and above board. Secondly, prosecuting human traffickers must comply with the administration and procedure of U.S. law. Undoubtedly,prosecuting sex trafficking cases should not be operated beyond law. “Some of these operations are above board and some are completely crooked from the ground up.” Collins said, “Prosecuting the crooked organizations can be difficult because more often than not, worker exploitation cases are handled in a civil and administrative manner, in accordance with U.S. labor law.” The legality and handle restriction are obvious obstacle of effectively prosecuting human traffickers.
The fifth reason is a conflict exists between rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases. Police officers shoulder responsibilities of both rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases, sometimes they had to balance between these two things and made a choice. Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said “Yes, we want to see people in jail for these crimes but our first priority is rescuing these victims as soon as possible.” That implies testifiers against prosecuting sex trafficking cases were probably lost if the victims were eager to go home as soon as possible. The conflict between rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases is a factor of why it is hard to prosecute sex trafficking cases in the US.
In conclusion, victims' unwillingness,unavailability of criminals, cop's personal demarche and law's restriction construct a block of prosecuting sex trafficking cases , and make putting criminals in jail extremely tough.
The first reason is the prosecutors are tough to be available. For one thing, the victims are scared to testify. Take the victim for an example，the 19-year girl had been conditioned by those who brought her to Okaloosa County to fear law enforcement. The young woman was so terrified that she trembled with fear and wouldn’t utter a word to sheriff’s deputies and investigators, let alone cooperate with an investigation aimed at prosecuting her exploiters. In addition, according to U.S Constitution, someone has the right to face their accusers in court, which undoubtedly makes accusers feel full of worries. Another thing is the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities. Practically, either finding the victims or identifying perpetrators took a long time. Furthermore, there’s surveillance over what was done and multiple jurisdictions. Both of with resulted in seeing an arrest for a trafficking case needs long time. But for the victims, they preferred to get back home as soon as they could rather than to spend long time on testifying against exploiters. Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said “If the offenses have escalated to criminal offenses that would warrant a jury trial, convincing victims to stay in the United States for another year to testify at trial is nearly impossible…. These victims don’t want to stick around for two years and put their life back home on hold to testify. They want to go home and forget about it….” The unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities is one of the biggest obstacles in putting criminals behind bars.
The second reason is arrests and prosecutions are hard to come by.
With human trafficking, given the international crime syndicates often involved in operations across the country, which obviously made both investigation and arrest extra tough.
The third reason is tipstaff's personal demarche makes traffickers away from punishment. For example,Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said he measured his success not by arrests and prosecutions but by how many people he could rescue from potentially dangerous situations and then relocated them out of harm’s way. Likely, Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris also claimed sometimes they had to prosecute other offenses to shut down the operation, he was going to be persistent in doing everything as he could to put traffickers out of business in Okaloosa County.
The fourth reason is rules and regulations of U.S law make exploiters free of law enforcement. Firstly, Some of the programs are legitimate and above board. Secondly, prosecuting human traffickers must comply with the administration and procedure of U.S. law. Undoubtedly,prosecuting sex trafficking cases should not be operated beyond law. “Some of these operations are above board and some are completely crooked from the ground up.” Collins said, “Prosecuting the crooked organizations can be difficult because more often than not, worker exploitation cases are handled in a civil and administrative manner, in accordance with U.S. labor law.” The legality and handle restriction are obvious obstacle of effectively prosecuting human traffickers.
The fifth reason is a conflict exists between rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases. Police officers shoulder responsibilities of both rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases, sometimes they had to balance between these two things and made a choice. Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said “Yes, we want to see people in jail for these crimes but our first priority is rescuing these victims as soon as possible.” That implies testifiers against prosecuting sex trafficking cases were probably lost if the victims were eager to go home as soon as possible. The conflict between rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases is a factor of why it is hard to prosecute sex trafficking cases in the US.
In conclusion, victims' unwillingness,unavailability of criminals, cop's personal demarche and law's restriction construct a block of prosecuting sex trafficking cases , and make putting criminals in jail extremely tough.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Why it is hard to prosecute sex trafficking cases in the US ?
Why it is hard to prosecute sex trafficking cases in the US as follows.
First reason is the accusers are tough to be available.
For one thing, the victims are scared to testify. Take the victim for an example，the 19-year had been conditioned by those who brought her to Okaloosa County to fear law enforcement. The young woman was so terrified that she trembled with fear and wouldn't utter a word to sheriff's deputies and investigators, let alone cooperate with an investigation aimed at prosecuting her exploiters. In addition, according to U.S Constitution, someone has the right to face their accusers in court, which undoubtedly makes accusers feel more scared to provide testimony.Another thing is the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities. the unwillingness of victims to testify against their exploiters makes it tough to testify against exploiters.
Support point 1:Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, said "We've found it's tough to investigate and prosecute a human trafficking case because either the victims are too afraid or they just want to get back home as soon as they can...."
Support point2: "If the offenses have escalated to criminal offenses that would warrant a jury trial, convincing victims to stay in the United States for another year to testify at trial is nearly impossible," Collins said，"These victims don't want to stick around for two years and put their life back home on hold to testify. They want to go home and forget about it...."
Support point 3:Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities is one of the biggest obstacles in putting criminals behind bars.
Second reason is arrests and prosecutions are hard to come by.With human trafficking, given the international crime syndicates often involved in operations across the country and even in Okaloosa County.
Third reason is tipstaff 's personal demarche makes traffickers away from punishment.
Support point 1: Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said he measures his success not by arrests and prosecutions but by how many people he can rescue from potentially dangerous situations and then relocate them out of harm's way.
Support point 2: Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris said ,"We sometimes have to prosecute other offenses to shut down the operation. I'm going to be persistent in doing everything I can to put traffickers out of business in Okaloosa County."
Fourth reason is rules and regulations of U.S law make exploiters free of law enforcement. Firstly, Some of the programs are legitimate and above board.Secondly, accusing traffickers must comply with the administration and procedure of U.S. law.
Support point 1: "Some of these operations are above board and some are completely crooked from the ground up." Collins said,"Prosecuting the crooked organizations can be difficult because more often than not, worker exploitation cases are handled in a civil and administrative manner, in accordance with U.S. labor law."
Support point 2: Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said "When we find the victims and identify the perpetrators, all of that takes a long time. There's surveillance that's done and you have multiple jurisdictions and you have to wait to get an indictment, and sometimes you won't see an arrest in these cases for six weeks…."
Fifth reason is a conflict exists between rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases.
Support point : Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said "Yes, we want to see people in jail for these crimes but our first priority is rescuing these victims as soon as possible."
First reason is the accusers are tough to be available.
For one thing, the victims are scared to testify. Take the victim for an example，the 19-year had been conditioned by those who brought her to Okaloosa County to fear law enforcement. The young woman was so terrified that she trembled with fear and wouldn't utter a word to sheriff's deputies and investigators, let alone cooperate with an investigation aimed at prosecuting her exploiters. In addition, according to U.S Constitution, someone has the right to face their accusers in court, which undoubtedly makes accusers feel more scared to provide testimony.Another thing is the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities. the unwillingness of victims to testify against their exploiters makes it tough to testify against exploiters.
Support point 1:Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, said "We've found it's tough to investigate and prosecute a human trafficking case because either the victims are too afraid or they just want to get back home as soon as they can...."
Support point2: "If the offenses have escalated to criminal offenses that would warrant a jury trial, convincing victims to stay in the United States for another year to testify at trial is nearly impossible," Collins said，"These victims don't want to stick around for two years and put their life back home on hold to testify. They want to go home and forget about it...."
Support point 3:Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities is one of the biggest obstacles in putting criminals behind bars.
Second reason is arrests and prosecutions are hard to come by.With human trafficking, given the international crime syndicates often involved in operations across the country and even in Okaloosa County.
Third reason is tipstaff 's personal demarche makes traffickers away from punishment.
Support point 1: Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said he measures his success not by arrests and prosecutions but by how many people he can rescue from potentially dangerous situations and then relocate them out of harm's way.
Support point 2: Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris said ,"We sometimes have to prosecute other offenses to shut down the operation. I'm going to be persistent in doing everything I can to put traffickers out of business in Okaloosa County."
Fourth reason is rules and regulations of U.S law make exploiters free of law enforcement. Firstly, Some of the programs are legitimate and above board.Secondly, accusing traffickers must comply with the administration and procedure of U.S. law.
Support point 1: "Some of these operations are above board and some are completely crooked from the ground up." Collins said,"Prosecuting the crooked organizations can be difficult because more often than not, worker exploitation cases are handled in a civil and administrative manner, in accordance with U.S. labor law."
Support point 2: Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said "When we find the victims and identify the perpetrators, all of that takes a long time. There's surveillance that's done and you have multiple jurisdictions and you have to wait to get an indictment, and sometimes you won't see an arrest in these cases for six weeks…."
Fifth reason is a conflict exists between rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases.
Support point : Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said "Yes, we want to see people in jail for these crimes but our first priority is rescuing these victims as soon as possible."
Saturday, October 6, 2007
why it is hard to procecute sex trafficking cases in the US?
Why it is hard to prosecute sex trafficking cases in the US as follows.
The first reason is the accusers are tough to be available.
For one thing, the victims are scared to testify. Take the victim for an example，the 19-year had been conditioned by those who brought her to Okaloosa County to fear law enforcement. The young woman was so terrified that she trembled with fear and wouldn't utter a word to sheriff's deputies and investigators, let alone cooperate with an investigation aimed at prosecuting her exploiters. In addition, according to U.S Constitution, someone has the right to face their accusers in court, which undoubtedly makes accusers feel more scared to provide testimony.
Another thing is the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities. the unwillingness of victims to testify against their exploiters makes it tough to testify against exploiters.
Support point 1:Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, said "We've found it's tough to investigate and prosecute a human trafficking case because either the victims are too afraid or they just want to get back home as soon as they can...."
Support point2: "If the offenses have escalated to criminal offenses that would warrant a jury trial, convincing victims to stay in the United States for another year to testify at trial is nearly impossible," Collins said，"These victims don't want to stick around for two years and put their life back home on hold to testify. They want to go home and forget about it...."
Support point 3:Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities is one of the biggest obstacles in putting criminals behind bars.
The second reason is arrests and prosecutions are hard to come by.
With human trafficking, given the international crime syndicates often involved in operations across the country and even in Okaloosa County.
The third reason is tipstaff 's personal demarche makes traffickers away from punishment.
Support point 1: Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said he measures his success not by arrests and prosecutions but by how many people he can rescue from potentially dangerous situations and then relocate them out of harm's way.
Support point 2: Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris said ,"We sometimes have to prosecute other offenses to shut down the operation. I'm going to be persistent in doing everything I can to put traffickers out of business in Okaloosa County."
The fourth reason is rules and regulations of U.S law make exploiters free of law enforcement. Firstly, Some of the programs are legitimate and above board.Secondly, accusing traffickers must comply with the administration and procedure of U.S. law.
Support point 1: "Some of these operations are above board and some are completely crooked from the ground up." Collins said,"Prosecuting the crooked organizations can be difficult because more often than not, worker exploitation cases are handled in a civil and administrative manner, in accordance with U.S. labor law."
Support point2: Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said "When we find the victims and identify the perpetrators, all of that takes a long time. There's surveillance that's done and you have multiple jurisdictions and you have to wait to get an indictment, and sometimes you won't see an arrest in these cases for six weeks…."
The fifth reason is a conflict exists between rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases.
Support point : Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said "Yes, we want to see people in jail for these crimes but our first priority is rescuing these victims as soon as possible."
The first reason is the accusers are tough to be available.
For one thing, the victims are scared to testify. Take the victim for an example，the 19-year had been conditioned by those who brought her to Okaloosa County to fear law enforcement. The young woman was so terrified that she trembled with fear and wouldn't utter a word to sheriff's deputies and investigators, let alone cooperate with an investigation aimed at prosecuting her exploiters. In addition, according to U.S Constitution, someone has the right to face their accusers in court, which undoubtedly makes accusers feel more scared to provide testimony.
Another thing is the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities. the unwillingness of victims to testify against their exploiters makes it tough to testify against exploiters.
Support point 1:Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, said "We've found it's tough to investigate and prosecute a human trafficking case because either the victims are too afraid or they just want to get back home as soon as they can...."
Support point2: "If the offenses have escalated to criminal offenses that would warrant a jury trial, convincing victims to stay in the United States for another year to testify at trial is nearly impossible," Collins said，"These victims don't want to stick around for two years and put their life back home on hold to testify. They want to go home and forget about it...."
Support point 3:Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said the unwillingness of victims to cooperate with the authorities is one of the biggest obstacles in putting criminals behind bars.
The second reason is arrests and prosecutions are hard to come by.
With human trafficking, given the international crime syndicates often involved in operations across the country and even in Okaloosa County.
The third reason is tipstaff 's personal demarche makes traffickers away from punishment.
Support point 1: Inspector George Collins, a criminal intelligence specialist at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said he measures his success not by arrests and prosecutions but by how many people he can rescue from potentially dangerous situations and then relocate them out of harm's way.
Support point 2: Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris said ,"We sometimes have to prosecute other offenses to shut down the operation. I'm going to be persistent in doing everything I can to put traffickers out of business in Okaloosa County."
The fourth reason is rules and regulations of U.S law make exploiters free of law enforcement. Firstly, Some of the programs are legitimate and above board.Secondly, accusing traffickers must comply with the administration and procedure of U.S. law.
Support point 1: "Some of these operations are above board and some are completely crooked from the ground up." Collins said,"Prosecuting the crooked organizations can be difficult because more often than not, worker exploitation cases are handled in a civil and administrative manner, in accordance with U.S. labor law."
Support point2: Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said "When we find the victims and identify the perpetrators, all of that takes a long time. There's surveillance that's done and you have multiple jurisdictions and you have to wait to get an indictment, and sometimes you won't see an arrest in these cases for six weeks…."
The fifth reason is a conflict exists between rescuing victims and prosecuting sex trafficking cases.
Support point : Anna Rodriguez, the founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said "Yes, we want to see people in jail for these crimes but our first priority is rescuing these victims as soon as possible."
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
A Victim Of Kenya
Kenya: Trafficking victim tells her story
Lucy Kabanya, 39, was in high spirits at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa on July 8, last year. And she had every reason to be, for she had just boarded a Condor Airline plane on her way to Germany, courtesy of her German “boyfriend”. Various thoughts flashed through her mind as the plane cut through the clouds on its way to Frankfurt, where she was to spend a three-month holiday. But all hopes of an exciting and wonderful stay in a foreign land were shattered on arrival in Germany, when her host confiscated her travel documents and denied her food for several days before informing her that she would work as a sex slave.By Daily Nation (Kenya), by Patrick Mayoyo 02.20.2007
“I didn’t know I was a victim of human trafficking until I arrived in Germany. Before I left Kenya, my host had treated me so well; he had lavished me with gifts of all kinds, sent me money whenever I requested for cash. He promised me a life I had never seen before. On that, he was right. “At first I didn’t believe him when he said that I was going to be a prostitute because he had brought me to Germany as his girlfriend. But I realised he meant business when he bundled me into a vehicle and took me to a bar to start my vocation. I was stunned beyond words,” she said.
Lucy says this was the moment her most harrowing, humiliating, degrading and inhuman experience started. She said her host, who has since been charged in a German court, worked in cahoots with some Turks to torment her. “For nearly three weeks before I escaped, I went through hell on earth. Apart from being raped, I was viciously beaten and threatened with death by my host,” she added. “Some of the things I experienced I’m unable to express in words because they were beyond human imagination, and you can only wish they were scenes in a horror movie,” she said.
Lucy, who made her startling, shocking and emotional revelations during a workshop on combating human trafficking at the Coast, organised by Solidarity with Women in Distress (Solwodi), said she was forced to change tack in order to escape. “I was forced to convince my host that contrary to our earlier disagreements, I was now enjoying myself and there was no need of suspicion among us,” she told Nation in an interview. Lucy, who had been kept incommunicado and denied a telephone and refused permission to talk to strangers, gathered the courage and asked for a mobile phone. She said she needed to call her friends and relatives, since they were expecting to hear from her ever since she left home. The request was granted.
“I saw a ray of hope in my escape plan. Immediately he left the house for work, I called a friend in Finland and told her I was in trouble,” she said. Lucy said her friend gave her a German police hotline, which she called and the police responded. “The police arrived immediately and rescued me, arrested my host and one of his collaborators, and took me to hospital before taking me to a safe house. Finally I was taken to Solwodi-Germany,” she said. Lucy, who returned to Kenya recently and is undergoing counselling and rehabilitation through the support of Solwodi, is set to return to Germany to testify against her tormentors who have since been charged with sexual assault.
Ms Elizabeth Akinyi, the manager of the Kenya branch of German-based Solwodi, said: “We have received more than 25 women who have been returned to Kenya from Europe after falling prey to international crooks who took them there as their boyfriends before they turned them into sex slaves.” A trafficking in persons interim report released by the US Department of State on January 19, says Kenya is among the countries affected by human trafficking. The report says the Government has made some progress in combating trafficking in persons since release of last year’s report that indicated Kenya was a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation.
The interim report says more needs to be done, as lack of awareness of human trafficking among law enforcement officials undermines the ability of police to identify and track cases. The report says Kenya Police was unable to report any concrete action its human trafficking unit had taken in the past year. NGOs presented a draft Anti-Trafficking Bill to the Attorney-General in May 2006. The bill should be tabled in Parliament during the session that starts next month.
Lucy Kabanya, 39, was in high spirits at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa on July 8, last year. And she had every reason to be, for she had just boarded a Condor Airline plane on her way to Germany, courtesy of her German “boyfriend”. Various thoughts flashed through her mind as the plane cut through the clouds on its way to Frankfurt, where she was to spend a three-month holiday. But all hopes of an exciting and wonderful stay in a foreign land were shattered on arrival in Germany, when her host confiscated her travel documents and denied her food for several days before informing her that she would work as a sex slave.By Daily Nation (Kenya), by Patrick Mayoyo 02.20.2007
“I didn’t know I was a victim of human trafficking until I arrived in Germany. Before I left Kenya, my host had treated me so well; he had lavished me with gifts of all kinds, sent me money whenever I requested for cash. He promised me a life I had never seen before. On that, he was right. “At first I didn’t believe him when he said that I was going to be a prostitute because he had brought me to Germany as his girlfriend. But I realised he meant business when he bundled me into a vehicle and took me to a bar to start my vocation. I was stunned beyond words,” she said.
Lucy says this was the moment her most harrowing, humiliating, degrading and inhuman experience started. She said her host, who has since been charged in a German court, worked in cahoots with some Turks to torment her. “For nearly three weeks before I escaped, I went through hell on earth. Apart from being raped, I was viciously beaten and threatened with death by my host,” she added. “Some of the things I experienced I’m unable to express in words because they were beyond human imagination, and you can only wish they were scenes in a horror movie,” she said.
Lucy, who made her startling, shocking and emotional revelations during a workshop on combating human trafficking at the Coast, organised by Solidarity with Women in Distress (Solwodi), said she was forced to change tack in order to escape. “I was forced to convince my host that contrary to our earlier disagreements, I was now enjoying myself and there was no need of suspicion among us,” she told Nation in an interview. Lucy, who had been kept incommunicado and denied a telephone and refused permission to talk to strangers, gathered the courage and asked for a mobile phone. She said she needed to call her friends and relatives, since they were expecting to hear from her ever since she left home. The request was granted.
“I saw a ray of hope in my escape plan. Immediately he left the house for work, I called a friend in Finland and told her I was in trouble,” she said. Lucy said her friend gave her a German police hotline, which she called and the police responded. “The police arrived immediately and rescued me, arrested my host and one of his collaborators, and took me to hospital before taking me to a safe house. Finally I was taken to Solwodi-Germany,” she said. Lucy, who returned to Kenya recently and is undergoing counselling and rehabilitation through the support of Solwodi, is set to return to Germany to testify against her tormentors who have since been charged with sexual assault.
Ms Elizabeth Akinyi, the manager of the Kenya branch of German-based Solwodi, said: “We have received more than 25 women who have been returned to Kenya from Europe after falling prey to international crooks who took them there as their boyfriends before they turned them into sex slaves.” A trafficking in persons interim report released by the US Department of State on January 19, says Kenya is among the countries affected by human trafficking. The report says the Government has made some progress in combating trafficking in persons since release of last year’s report that indicated Kenya was a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation.
The interim report says more needs to be done, as lack of awareness of human trafficking among law enforcement officials undermines the ability of police to identify and track cases. The report says Kenya Police was unable to report any concrete action its human trafficking unit had taken in the past year. NGOs presented a draft Anti-Trafficking Bill to the Attorney-General in May 2006. The bill should be tabled in Parliament during the session that starts next month.
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