Monday, February 5, 2007

Modern-Day Slavery and Human Trafficking: The Horrific, Unmentioned Crime in Need of the World's Attention

The institution of slavery did not die when the Thirteenth Amendment was passed in 1865, contrary to popular thought. Though it is not often discussed, modern-day slavery and human trafficking across international borders is still very common. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked each year. According to Human Rights Watch, “trafficking includes all acts related to the recruitment, transport, transfer, sale, or purchase of human beings by force, fraud, deceit, or other coercive tactics for the purpose of placing them into conditions of forced labor or practices similar to slavery, in which labor is extracted through physical or non-physical means of coercion, including blackmail, fraud, deceit, isolation, threat or use of physical force, or psychological pressure.” Once trafficked into foreign countries, victims are forced to perform physical labor and suffer in slave-like conditions, often with no pay at all. Human trafficking is especially common for women, who are often tricked into leaving their home countries for better lives, only to find themselves in slave-like environments or in brothels, as sex slaves, domestic servants, or agricultural or factory workers.

This was precisely the case for Thonglim Khampiranon, a 43-year old mother of two from Thailand. Khampiranon was one of three women trafficked from Thailand to Los Angeles to work for a woman who promised the three decent wages and decent living conditions. Of course, this was not the life they were given, as the women worked as slaves and endured years of abuse and exploitation. One concerned woman for America claims that some women are sold by their parents or husbands, looking for a payment of some kind in return. The issue is global; modern-day slavery exists in many countries, the twelve with the worst records being Belize, Cuba, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Uzbekistan, Burma, Laos and North Korea. This issue that involves practically every nation in the world is in need of serious attention.

America has decided to try and combat the problem. When releasing the sixth Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice confirmed that the United States government has donated 400 million dollars to support global efforts to fight what has become a harsh reality for too many people. The Secretary of State believes in President Bush and in his success at increasing public awareness of this crime and targeting and prosecuting the perpetrators. Sadly, the problem is still widespread and tough to solve completely. The United States makes a powerful statement that it will partner with any other nation that shares the mission of putting an end to this moral injustice. There are three powerful actions society can take to abolish modern-day slavery within one generation, according to Ken Bales, a sociologist and expert on modern-day slavery. Public awareness must increase and the public has to agree that it is time to end slavery, money must be spent, and governments should enforce anti-slavery laws. It takes commitment but it is definitely possible.

Modern-day slavery and human trafficking has been going on way too long. It is time for the institution of slavery itself to come to an end. Too many people have been held captive, living in awful conditions and having to perform physical or domestic labor. Too many women have been sold as sex slaves and too many children have been captured only to live with little hope for their futures. The United States has taken a step in the right direction and has a very good chance at success. More nations will hopefully address the issue as the U.S. has done, and powerful and efficient alliances can be formed. Bright futures await those who were robbed of their freedom for too long.