An interesting thread beofre it was derailed by the usual suspects.
Basically, the facts as presented in the guardian article are incredibly misleading. For example the fact that police charged and prosecuted two people who originally seemed to be victims is presented as a fuck up. It's actually a well known fact that former victims of traffickers will often become traffickers themselves, either through coercion or because they feel they have no other choice economically. There is a huge stigma around any form of violence against women in these societies and much of the time their families will disown them, also they will have missed out on their education and work opportunities, they may feel that is the only option left.
Secondly, there is increasing evidence that the "profile" of a trafficking victim has changed over time. It's no longer naive middle class girls from a sheltered background who thought they were going to be secretaries or something. It's come to resemble the profile of trafficked women within the UK who have frequently got severe mental health problems, mental retardation or who grew up in highly disturbed backgrounds. A lot of them are being trafficked from care homes. Like in the UK. Some also come from countries where access to this education is limited, or for example the roma community
I'm sure the figures for trafficking in the UK are exaggerated and tend to feed more into more general fears about immigration, but nonetheless to call it a myth is total bollocks and not surprising coming from posters who have a certain agenda in mind. It's just not like how the Guardian et al are portraying it (which is surprising given a few months ago they did an article about the extent of trafficking in the chinese community and said the police/gov't weren't doing ENOUGH...)
I'm sorry if you think those of us who have long argued against the "anti trafficking" industry have a certain agenda. I am not entirely sure what agenda you think we have and I object to the idea that we have somehow hijacked this thread. On the contrary, I think it is you, who continue to peddle the lie of "trafficking" who have a hidden agenda, a moralistic anti prostitution agenda which to seeks to push an abolitionist policy in the name of "anti trafficking"
So let me spell out my agenda. I lived in Cambodia for over 10 years. I consider many of the sex workers in PP to be my valued friends. Some of these women I have known since the first day they walked into a bar and I have seen many of them reach the age where they can no longer work and they begin the long slow decline into poverty and loneliness. i have seen the abuse they suffer and I have watched many of them die, poor and alone from disease and a life of abuse.
My agenda is simple. I believe as they do that the lives of sex workers would be improved by guaranteeing their rights. Their human rights and their rights as workers and that instead of pushing an abolitionist agenda which only hurts sex workers, sex work should be decriminalised and the rights of sex workers protected in the same way as all workers.
I believe that the one group of people whose voices are never heard are the women themselves. I think we would all benefit from actually listening to them instead of forcing a western moralist agenda down their throats.
Take a moment to actually listen to what they say
http://blip.tv/file/970833/
Instead, in the name of "anti-trafficking" these workers are persecuted, arrested, raped and robbed by police, forcibly "rescued and imprisoned in "rehabilitation" centres against their will.
The US government enforces sanctions against developing countries that don't meet their standards of "anti trafficking." In effect they force developing nations to enact and enforce anti prostitution laws that criminalise the entire sex industry.
Since Cambodia enacted "anti trafficking" legislation, brothels, bars and other safe places of work have been closed and women forced to work in dangerous circumstances in the parks and streets.
The human rights of prostitutes have been trampled and they have been driven into the arms of organised crime. The police have used this legislation to abuse thousands of women. Women have been robbed and raped by the police. They are now routinely forced to bribe police to avoid being "rescued" and detained. Health organisations that distribute condoms have been raided and closed. All as a direct result of "anti-trafficking" legislation
This is fact and it is now. Anti trafficking" is nothing less than a smoke screen for a moralistic anti prostitution campaign. WAKE UP. TRAFFICKING IS A MYTH.
My agenda is very straight forward. I think people should listen to what sex workers actually say and what they want. They don't want to be rescued or saved. They want their rights
Don't take my word for it listen to the voices of the women themselves.
Sex work is work. Sex workers need workers rights.
