Saturday, August 08, 2009

Sex slavery victim visits Central New York, speaks out against child sex trafficking

Somaly Mam, an advocate against sex trafficking and slavery, talks with supporters at a recent gathering. She was at Carousel Center Thursday at The Body Shop. That company The Body Shop has launched a fund-raiser for Somaly Mam and ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes). Somaly was a victim of child sex trafficking. (Submitted photograph)

Friday August 07, 2009
By Nina Wegner
The Post-Standard (New York, USA)


Somaly Mam, an international spokeswoman for ending child sex trafficking, paid a visit to the Carousel Center on this week to help promote an anti-trafficking campaign launched by The Body Shop.

More than 1.8 million children and young people are trafficked in the global sex trade each year, even within the United States, according to a 2002 report by the International Labor Organization.

Human trafficking is the globe's second largest organized crime, generating $9.5 billion a year, according to the U.S. State Department. However, sex trafficking remains an underexposed issue in America.

With the sale of several $10 body care products, The Body Shop will donate $6 to the organization End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes and the Somaly Mam Foundation.

"The Body Shop (campaign) has given us hope, because so many people (who are sold into sexual slavery) are so isolated, and alone, they feel nobody understands," said Mam. "It means a lot for us, it means a lot for the lives you save."

Mam, who was sold into sexual slavery as a child in Cambodia, was able to escape captivity and in 1996 started an advocacy group, AFESIP (an acronym in French for "Acting for Women in Distressing Situations").

Mam traveled from Cambodia to support the campaign's launch. In Syracuse, Mam greeted and thanked the staff of The Body Shop.

"Our late founder, Dame Anita Roddick, was dedicated to the issue of human trafficking. When she passed away in September 2007, we felt it was a fitting tribute to Anita to launch something as powerful as this," said Shelley Simmons, director of communications and values for The Body Shop.

17 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:32 PM

    To all belove Khmer,

    You are not deserve to be Khmer, Khmer Australian, or Khmer American...etc if you are not support or donate money to SRP and dares to support the CPP. Despite, we have hidden this policy because Hun Sen and CPP can mocking on us but SRP and our supporters will carry this policy until we win the election. In addition, whoever dares to post any topic in this forum which doesn't support SRP, we will use very bad languages to hunt you down. We are the best in using bad languages against Hun Sen and the CPP.

    The opposition (SRP) has no policy to force any Khmer to support us, but if any Khmer dares to support the CPP, SRP and our supporters will brand you as Youn.

    Sam Rainsy Party (Candle light)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous2:50 PM

    Thanks for telling me about a secret policy of SRP towards people who support Hun Sen and the CPP.

    A Khmer in USA

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous3:53 PM

    Sam Rainsy rapes little girls

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous9:29 PM

    She is famous now after all.
    Soon she will be one of Hollywood movie star after Khmer actor Dr. Haing Ngor died.

    Good for Mrs Mam Somali.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:55 PM

    GOD Bless Mrs Mam Somali for her good deeds.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous10:58 PM

    The first comment is fake. It is really from CPP member.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous12:25 AM

    To Ah Khmer Australian 2:21 PM

    You're support Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime who is killing innocent Khmer peoples, do me a favor don't ever tell anyone that you are Khmer, because you make Khmer peoples look bad.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous12:33 AM

    Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:

    Tortures
    Executions
    Massacres
    Atrocities
    Crimes Against Humanity
    Starvations
    Overwork to Death
    Slavery
    Rapes
    Human Abuses
    Assault and Battery


    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:

    Assassinations
    Assassinated Journalists
    Assassinated Political Opponents
    Assassinated Leader of the Free Trade Union
    Attempted Assassinations on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
    Attempted Murders on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
    Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
    Murders members and activists of Sam Rainsy Party
    Killings
    Extrajudicial Execution
    Grenade Attack
    Terrorism
    Drive by Shooting
    Tortures
    Intimidations
    Death Threats
    Threatening
    Human Abductions
    Human Rights Abuses
    Human Trafficking
    Drugs Trafficking
    Under Age Child Sex
    Corruptions
    Bribery
    Illegal Mass Evictions
    Illegal Land Grabbing
    Illegal Firearms
    Illegal Logging
    Illegal Deforestation
    Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and others military official on board.
    Illegally Sold State Properties
    Illegally Remove Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
    Plunder National Resources
    Acid Attacks
    Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country
    Oppression
    Injustice
    Steal Votes
    Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
    Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
    Abuse of Power
    Abuse the Laws
    Abuse the National Election Committee
    Abuse the National Assembly
    Violate the Laws
    Violate the Constitution
    Violate the Paris Accords
    Impunity

    Under Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed all of these crimes above within Hun Sen Khmer Rouge government have ever been brought to justice.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous12:36 AM

    UNDER AGE CHILD SEX
    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed under age child sex.
    Svay Sitha is a senior government official from Cambodian People's Party.
    Svay Sitha had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina, she was only 16 years old.
    Source: Human Rights Watch

    ACID ATTACK ON TAT MARINA
    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed acid attack.
    "On December 5, 1999, Tat Marina, age 16, was severely disfigured in an acid attack in Phnom Penh. The attack was allegedly committed by Khun Sophal, the wife of a senior government official, Svay Sitha, because she was angry her husband had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina. Neither Khun Sophal nor those suspected of being her accomplices in the attack were brought to justice. Intense media publicity compelled the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Khun Sophal for attempted murder, but the police claimed that they could not locate her, although journalists reported that she was living at home as usual."
    Source: Human Rights Watch

    TORTURE AND MURDER ON PRAK SITHA WHILE IN CUSTODY BY MISNISTRY OF INTERIOR OFFICIAL
    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed torture and murder.
    "On the night of January 16, 2003, a street youth named Prak Sitha was beaten to death at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) headquarters after he was arrested and detained by off-duty MOI officers on suspicion of theft. His body - bearing numerous injuries to the head, torso, arms, and legs - was dumped at a Phnom Penh pagoda the following morning by ministry officers, in violation of police regulations regarding deaths in custody. No criminal charges were filed in connection with this death. In December 2004, the case was cited by the UN secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia - who stated that Prak Sitha died at the ministry "following beatings by a known police officer" - as an example of a "consistent and continuing pattern of impunity" in Cambodia."
    Source: Human Rights Watch

    PUT SAMPHORS WAS SHOT DEAD BY MEAN SOKCHEA, A RCAF MAJOR WORKING IN BRIGADE 70.
    Hun Sen's personal Bodyguards Unit (Brigade 70) is a terrorist organization.
    Hing Bunheang is a March 30, 1997 Grenade Attack suspect identified by the FBI.
    Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed murder, again.
    "On September 4, 2008, Mean Sokchea, a RCAF major working in Brigade 70, shot dead 21-year-old waitress Put Samphors at a restaurant in Kandal province. Mean Sokchea, in a drunken stupor, fired his gun and apparently mistakenly hit Put Samphors in the stomach. She was taken to a hospital but later died of her wounds. Mean Sokchea was detained by the police overnight but was then released, allegedly after intervention by Hing Bun Heang. Put Samphor's family received US$2,700 from Mean Sokchea, and the police told them that their daughter was shot while authorities were chasing robbers."
    Source: Human Rights Watch

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous12:59 AM

    Ah PPU aka Ah Anthony, you're support Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime who is killing innocent Khmer peoples, do me a favor don't ever tell anyone that you are Khmer, because you make Khmer peoples look bad.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous3:08 AM

    i have nothing to criticize her, here. she is doing a good cause for the victims, not just in cambodia but victims of trafficking of women and children all over the globe as well. god bless her and her good work.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous4:54 AM

    Ms. Somaly Mam,

    Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for the girls in Cambodia.

    Keep up the good work.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous8:21 AM

    Why does she have to do help only Cambodia? She is supported with a lot of cash from an international community. Are you saying other innocence young girls outthere should be abused except Cambodians?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous1:31 PM

    8:21am,

    Ms Somali is Khmer and she is doing her work in her country, Cambodia. Other countries have their people to do this same work and they too received helps from the International community.


    Pross Pov

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous3:29 PM

    1.8 million children are trafficked????? Who counted all these children and who took all the traffickers to court. No body.. So that means all the money you donated to those NGO's to do this job put the money in their pockets and sat on their ass or drove around in their landcrusers.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous1:33 AM

    NGOS in Cambodia live like King and Queen, and some have their own chauffeurs, and mad everything.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous5:57 AM

    The NGOs' members are corrupted just like the rest. Kem Sokha has tons of money, and so other members of NGOs. Mrs Mam Somaly is doing a good deed, but she too has plenty of cash.
    Everyone needs food, clothes and lavish life style and so we are.
    Who is a perfect creature?
    Unless the person who is already rich and famous like Jolie, Maddox's Mom. Jolie does not need money from us.

    ReplyDelete