By Kelsey Wells
Staff Writer
A person's past does not necessarily determine their future, Cambodian human rights activist Somaly Mam said in a lecture Friday afternoon in the State Farm Room of the Business and Aerospace Building.
As the keynote speaker for the annual Global Discourses in Women's and Gender Studies conference, Mam discussed how she spent much of her early life as a sex slave but has dedicated the rest of it to helping others escape the abuse and illness she grew up with.
Mam said she was sold in slavery when she was a young teenager by a man posing as her grandfather. Even today, she said she does not know exactly how old she is or who her parents were. She also does not know her real name.
Her owner forced her to live in a snake and scorpion infested brothel with other young slaves, she said.
Even though she was beaten and starved, Mam said she did not consider running away at first because, in the brothel, she at least had people surrounding her. Outside, she said, she had no one.
It was only after the owner killed her best friend in front of her that she escaped.
Since then, Mam has made it her life's work to help other girls escape from slavery and learn to move on with their lives.
In 2007, she established the Somaly Mam Foundation, a worldwide organization that has thus far helped more than 7,000 girls break the bonds of slavery.
"I teach them forgiveness," Mam said. "Not to forgive them, but yourself – so you can be happy."
Tina Johnson, director of the university's Women's and Gender Studies Program, said sex trafficking is a "very important issue in women's studies." Though males are also often victims of slavery, women and girls are more vulnerable to sex slavery, she said.
"She did not stop to think about the girls she left behind," Johnson said. "She is a tower of strength."
Mam, who has no formal education, said she admires the girls she helps. One is now attending law school, she said.
"I just have a heart," Mam said. "They have brains. They're my heroes."
Worldwide, sex slavery is an annually $32 billion industry, Johnson said, adding that it is estimated four to five million people are living as slaves and two million of those are children.
Extreme poverty is one of the main reasons children are sold as slaves, Mam said.
Cambodia is divided between the "very rich and the very poor," she said.
Clare Bratten, a professor of electronic media production, said this divide is not only found in Cambodia. People from "poor countries are being sent to rich countries," she said.
Mam said more research is needed to determine other causes of sex slavery and better ways to combat it in a global setting.
"Life is love," she said. "Love costs you nothing."
5 comments:
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
KI-Media,,, Kelsey Wells,,,,You are destroying your own reputation by continually advertising the lies by Somaly Mam. Evey new version has something new and more bazaar in it. If you really want to do a story about her get some REAL FACTS about her early life, case all she saying are lies.
To 3:18 PM
Are you sure that KI lie? Where are your evidences claims please ? Without your evidences we are cambodians people won't back up your claim and support you.
6;26 PM,, Show me the evidence that what she says is true. It is not possible for me to show evidence of some thing that dose not ecsist
If you do not know whether it is true or lie why bother to say to damage someone who's trying to help children?
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