Daughter of Cambodia project becomes moving CD

Sun., 12.11.11
By Terry Perkins, special to the Beacon
St Louis Beacon (Missouri,USA)

At the beginning of 2011, the Beacon asked me to take a look at three musicians to watch in 2011. Here's a look at what one of them, singer/songwriter Leslie Sanazaro - with the invaluable contributions of another, guitarist Teddy Presberg - accomplished this past year with the "Daughters of Cambodia" project.

According to Sanazaro, the project came into being after she read "Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide," a book by New York Times writers Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Sanazaro was deeply affected by the book, which exposed the pervasiveness and brutality of human trafficking and forced prostitution - especially in Southeast Asia.

As she told me during our interview for the earlier article, "I started to think about what I could do as an individual to at least raise awareness about human trafficking of young girls. I hadn't really written songs for about a year, and was actually thinking of taking a break from music. But suddenly song ideas began pouring out, and I decided I had to record a CD, get a tour going, raise awareness for this issue -- and also raise funds to help a school for girls in Cambodia."

Mafia puts hits out on film crew documenting sex trafficking in Cambodia

October 27th, 2010
Examiner.com

Redlight, is the latest film released by the K11 Project in cooperation with Priority Films. Narrated by actress Lucy Liu, Redlight is a documentary about the child sex trade in Cambodia.

The film itself is a "gut-wrenching life changer" as it shares the stories of children victimized by sex trafficking in Cambodia.

THE FILM

Below is the film description from the Redlight Website.

"Filmed over a four year period, REDLIGHT focuses on the personal stories of young Cambodian victims and two remarkable advocates for change: grass-roots activist Somaly Mam (one of my personal heroes) and politician Mu Sochua. Both have since been nominated for the Noble Peace Prize. The filmmakers Guy Jacobson and Adi Ezroni won the prestigious Global Hero Award for their work in Cambodia."

"Using footage smuggled out of brothels and harrowing testimonials, REDLIGHT follows the plight of several current and former child sex slaves. Some are trying to regain entry into Cambodian society to find some semblance of normality after their horrific experiences. Other stories highlight the plight of victims who are attempting to bring the perpetrators to justice. Their torturous yet ultimately heroic battles to find witnesses and take brothel owners to court are dramatically brought to life in this topical and moving feature documentary."

MAFIA PUTS HITS OUT ON THE FILM CREW

While filming, the K11 crew put their lives in danger as they circumnavigated Cambodian and Thailand mafia's, pimps and assassins.

"When the film crew arrived to shoot the investigative probe into the massive child sex industry, the Cambodian, Chinese, and Vietnamese mafia who controlled the industry had hits put out on the crew within days. It ultimately took 40 armed body guards to secure the cameramen and participants," reported Amanda Kloer of Change.org.

K11 said the following on their website.

"Equipment is stuck at the borders as ransom - On the scheduled first week of shooting, Guy Jacobson (Producer) and Guy Moshe (Director) try to negotiate with the chinese mafia to free the equipment trucks that are held hostage across the Thai border. After millions change hands, the trucks cross the border safely and the shoot begins."

"...Meanwhile the Documentary crew risk their lives - The documentary crew gains access to the most incredible heart wrenching stories. BUT, even mentioning a connection to the narrative film would put the crew's life in danger. The two crews cannot stay at the same hotels and barely communicate via cell phones for fear they are tapped. On one occasion, the two crews sit at the same restaurant but do not exchange a single word in order not to raise suspicion."

In addition to Redlight, The K11 Project has produced the following films regarding sex trafficking.

• Holly
• Virgin Harvest
• The K11 Journey

For more information: http://www.redlightthemovie.com/

Red Light the Moive will be discussed on Larry King Live Today

RED LIGHT, a documentary on human trafficking in Cambodia. The producers of the film are the guests on "Larry King, Today". It will be on Showtime next Fall. Showtime has over 30 million subscribers. http://redlightthemovie.com/

Larry King Live Today November 24, 2009
On CNN
9:00PM/Eastern Time; 6:00PM/Pacific Time

Mrs. Mu Sochua worked with the film crew to find the victims and give her personal experience working to combat human trafficking when she was minister of women's affairs.

The documentary will touch you.

Narrated by Lucy Liu, REDLIGHT is a powerful feature documentary about child sexploitation, an epidemic happening in every country around the world.

Filmed over a four year period, REDLIGHT focuses on the personal stories of young Cambodian victims and two remarkable advocates for change: grass-roots activist Somaly Mam and politician Mu Sochua. Both have since been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The filmmakers Guy Jacobson and Adi Ezroni won the prestigious Global Hero Award for their work in Cambodia.

Using footage smuggled out of brothels and harrowing testimonials, REDLIGHT follows the plight of several current and former child sex slaves. Â Some are trying to regain entry into Cambodian society to find some semblance of normality after their horrific experiences. Other stories highlight the plight of victims who are attempting to bring the perpetrators to justice. Their torturous yet ultimately heroic battles to find witnesses and take brothel owners to court are dramatically brought to life in this topical and moving feature documentary.

More Trafficking Prosecutions Needed: Groups

Luis CdeBaca, director of the US State Department’s anti-trafficking office

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
03 September 2009

Two organizations that fight human trafficking have called on the government to seek more prosecutions and convictions of offenders in the sex trade, claiming a stronger court system would act as a deterrent of the crime.

“If they could work on 60 percent to 70 percent of the human trafficking cases brought in, there would be fewer offenders, because no one wants to be in jail,” said Mam Somaly, a renowned activist for Afesip, who was herself the victim of trafficking.

Samneang Sila, country director of Action Pour Les Enfants, said that not only traffickers needed prosecuted, but also hotel or guesthouse owners and motorcycle or other taxi drivers that collude with them.

Luis CdeBaca, the director of the US State Department’s anti-trafficking office, told reporters Wednesday that the US wants to see a higher number of trafficking convictions, after three suspected pedophiles were sent back to the US.

The US downgraded Cambodia’s anti-trafficking efforts in 2008, putting the country again on a “watch list” of nation’s not doing enough to combat the crime.

According to the agency’s 2009 Trafficking in Persons report, Cambodia only managed 12 convictions of trafficking offenders in 2008, a sharp drop from the 52 convictions obtained the year before. The report also noted the government’s seeming inability to prosecute public officials implicated in trafficking.

Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said police had arrested many criminals in human trafficking, though he did not have exact figures.

“But we agree that sometimes the suspects have not been charged, or are even released,” he said, “due to a lack of sufficient evidence to hold the accused accountable.”

Spanish queen visits trafficked women in Cambodia

Wed, 20 Feb 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Queen Sophia of Spain spent her first full day of an official trip to Cambodia Wednesday visiting Spanish-funded projects, including a shelter for women and girls rescued from human trafficking. Queen Sophia spent the morning at a shelter run by local non-government organization Afesip, a French acronym which translates to assisting women and children in precarious circumstances.

She chatted easily with the residents, who are learning new skills such as sewing to help them become self-sufficient and remain free of the clutches of traffickers in the future.

The monarch, wife of King Juan Carlos, has taken a personal interest in the project, which receives substantial Spanish funding. She is close to the group's co-founder, Mam Somaly, a former sex worker who now works to assist other women and children caught up in Cambodia's rampant sex trade.

The queen is scheduled to attend a gala dinner at the Royal Palace Wednesday evening hosted by Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, at whose personal invitation she is making her Cambodian visit, scheduled to end Saturday.

Queen Sophia is expected to travel by air to the north-western city of Battambang Thursday, more than 300 kilometres from the capital, to inspect a Spanish-assisted project to clear land mines, before moving on to the northern tourist hub of Siem Reap to visit the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex.

Cambodia: Sex Trap

Former child prostitute now saves others

Somaly Mam, a former child prostitute, provides refuge for others caught in Cambodia's sex industry.

Friday, March 23, 2007
Anderson Cooper 360 deg. Blog, CNN

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Sometimes this job makes you mad; sometimes it makes you happy. You have good days, hard days, hot days, hectic days. But however stressful, tiring or elating assignments get, there is one thing that keeps me coming back for more: the people we meet.

One of those people is Somaly Mam. She is humbling, courageous and exudes an inner-strength and warmth that is contagious. Somaly was forced into prostitution when she was just 12, and endured horrific ordeals at the hands of the sex tourists and home-grown brothel clients, even seeing her best friend shot dead in front of her.

Finally, she escaped. But she couldn't forget the children she'd seen held as sex slaves. She decided to set up her own charity to rescue them, and so far more than 150 have been brought out of the darkness into her refuge.

One in particular has touched her heart: 6-year-old Srey. Srey was sold by her mother to a brothel on the border with Thailand. After a police raid, Somaly took care of little Srey, who came to her timid, quiet and damaged. She is very ill: HIV positive, suffering from tuberculosis and pneumonia. Somaly says Srey talks of being raped in the past.

I look into Srey's little face and try to imagine the horror those large, brown eyes have seen. We have concerns about filming her. But Somaly and I are reassured: we filmed with Srey a couple of months ago, as sensitively and gently as we could, and it went well.

Our report generated a huge response last time and it's encouraging to see Srey has gained a little weight and seems much healthier than before. (Read Dan Rivers' story about Srey and the horrors she endured)

We've come back to find out how she's doing, to find out more about her story and to highlight this awful issue for Anderson Cooper, who has been anchoring his "360" program from Southeast Asia this week.

We play with Srey and the other children, and when we feel Srey is relaxed, we gradually introduce the camera. Somaly reads a story and Srey seems oblivious to my cameraman and sound recordist. Somaly knows Srey is a potent symbol. It's difficult to imagine a more innocent, vulnerable victim of Cambodia's sex trade.

We're careful never to show Srey's face. She speaks only Khmer and is unaware of what we talking about. I still feel uneasy, but Somaly is adamant that the world must know about children like Srey.

It's estimated by the charities that work in Cambodia that perhaps 30 percent of people working in the sex trade are children. The Cambodia women's affairs ministry puts the figure at 40 percent. With a sex industry comprised of 80,000 to 100,000 people, that means that perhaps between 24,000 and 40,000 people under 16 years of age are having their childhood stolen in the most horrendous ways. And that's just in Cambodia. Child prostitution is a problem all over the world.

We finish and give high fives to Srey, who then comes to the door to wave goodbye. She's heading back to the refuge now, as the sun smears the Cambodian sky butter yellow. As we drive back to our hotel, we pass the red-light district where the first girls are beginning to appear for another night on the streets. I wonder how many other young children like Srey are being offered for sale tonight and how long Srey will survive before the onslaught of AIDs will claim that fragile little child.

Web site: Acting for Women in Distressing Situations

Cambodian Battler Against Trafficking in Women Wins Award

Mam Somaly (left), a woman she has helped (center), and Mariane Pearl (right), wife of Daniel Pearl, journalist killed in Pakistan. Photo: Glamour Magazine/Dimitrios Kambouris.

2007.01.08
Radio Free Asia

"There are many problems in the fight against trafficking: problems of corruption, problems with the attitudes of some Khmers. In the Khmer society, we give a very negative meaning to the word 'prostitute.' We do not think about the reasons behind it." - Mam Somaly

Mam Somaly runs an organization in Cambodia, Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire (AFSP), that offers rehabilitation to the victims of rape, child-trafficking, and prostitution, as well as campaigning against the continuing trafficking in women and girls in the region. In October 2006 she was named a Glamour magazine Woman of the Year. Her award was presented by journalist Mariane Pearl, who reported on the retaliatory abduction of Mam Somaly’s daughter. She talked to reporter Naline Pea about her award, and the background to her work:

“It was like a dream...Last night I thought that I was in a different world. In the past, the work in Cambodia has been very difficult. Last night, we participated in the Hip Hop show, and we saw Hollywood stars, and there were big cars picking us up. I was very excited, very happy...”

“The thing that impressed me most was that the 10 women award recipients were from Hollywood and were famous stars. Among them, we were the smallest, and I was impressed by everyone, especially the movie stars. They want to help Cambodians and to visit Cambodia. It makes me happy that they want to help Cambodia.”

“Our work is to fight against the trafficking of women and girls. Our work in Cambodia first is to help children in collaboration with the Cambodian government. Secondly, we provide lawyers and psychological help to all the women victims, and we have vocational training centers.”

“The women receive training and go back into society or to their family after finishing the training. They are trained in hairdressing, wedding costumes, sewing, cooking, and then they return home. At the beginning, we support them 100 percent. Then we monitor their progress for up to three and four years until the girls have jobs.”

“There were many reasons [I won this award]. Firstly, it was my life experience. Secondly, the award is not only for me, but I would like to share my award with everybody who works and does not have a chance to receive an award. There are many women’s organizations that work to fight against the trafficking of women and girls.”

Work begun alone

“We created the organization a long time ago—in 1994 or 1995, but at that time I worked alone...We received a medal from Spain in 1998. So far, our organization has helped more than 3,000 women and children victims. We sent them back into society. Now, they have jobs. Some have families, husbands, and children. Unfortunately, 40 percent of them died of HIV/AIDS. Others have gone missing.”

“There are more than 100 staff members. All of them are Khmers. We have two foreign volunteers. We would like Khmers to be in high positions. The international finance director is Khmer. We are proud of this. Our organization is based in 12 towns and provinces in Cambodia. We will organize branch offices in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Spain, and France.”

“There are many problems in the fight against trafficking: problems of corruption, problems with the attitudes of some Khmers. In the Khmer society, we give a very negative meaning to the word ‘prostitute.’ We do not think about the reasons behind it. We do not look at why a girl was raped. They say that it is because of her, that it’s her fault. Therefore, Khmer society needs to change its attitude.”

“It is not easy in my work, but I have the support of the Cambodian government... However, in working with the government, we come across good and bad people. We have encountered many problems, but we work well with the Women’s Affairs ministry, the police, and social affairs. We have problems working with the legal system. As we already know, laws in Cambodia are still loose, and corruption still exists.”

Numbers trafficked increase

“The number [of trafficked women and girls] has increased, especially cross-country trafficking from Cambodia to Thailand, and from Thailand to Malaysia. The age of the victims is getting younger and younger. This is unfortunate. This is a tragedy.”

“As you know, our country went through a long war. Another war we are going through is AIDS. Now, we are going through another war which is the war against child-trafficking. If we do not think about our country, in the future, we will be gone.”

“They are between 12 and 18 years of age, over 10 years old. In some places, we have saved girls who are seven-years-old, five-years-old. This is a tragedy when you see a five- or six-year-old child whose face has been beaten and who has been raped. This is very tragic.”

“As for me, I almost stopped my work due to lack of funding sometimes, but I cannot stop working because I feel sorry for them. Why has our country become like this? Foreigners did this to our children, and why do Khmers treat Khmers so badly? ...I saw many women who were victimized by Khmers overseas.”

“We have a special center for young children, and we have caregivers’ help. However, for the victims, the problems remain in their hearts forever. They cannot erase that feeling. It is the same as living during the long Khmer Rouge regime. When we help them, we cannot help 100 percent. We have special centers for them to go for training. We are happy if they learn well.”

“I would like to tell the men from overseas, if they go to Cambodia, please respect Khmer women. I would like to tell them that all women have hearts. They are not materials to be sold or to be exchanged. I saw some men’s behavior with money—buying and selling Khmer women. If [overseas] Khmer men do not respect Khmer women, who else will respect them? This is first. Secondly, I would like to tell women who are housewives to remind their husbands and children to respect women.”

“The majority of Khmers are good in society, but some people are not. This weakens Khmer tradition. There are many tourists who come to Cambodia for sex. As for local Khmers, we need to work hard to explain to the women. I hope one day they will have dignity like people in other countries. I do not want to see women who are victims of trafficking. I do not want to see their tears. I would like to see men and women live in dignity.”

Original reporting in Khmer by Nailine Pea. RFA Khmer service director: Kem Sos. Produced for the Web in English by Luisetta Mudie and edited by Sarah Jackson-Han.