News From Thailand
Prayers, Petitions, and Praises
But first, a plea...
Click here to make a US tax-deductible donation. ALL funds raised will go DIRECTLY to providing services for child trafficking survivors through the HUG Project Thailand. Thank you for caring and sharing!
Prayer
Thank you for praying for balance and endurance for our team, for open hearts and minds in those with whom we partner, and for guidance and direction as we move forward with important developments at the national and international level of child protection.
Petition
Because she is not currently eligible for citizenship, she is also not eligible for health insurance. Her parents are migrant workers from Myanmar. If you would like to learn more about Hannah's situation, you can click here.
Praise
Cases of child sexual abuse or trafficking are often complicated by poverty, inequality, family dynamics, mental illness, and/or addiction. Sometimes problems lead to abuse, and other times they are the result of trauma.
In this case, a teenager made a brave decision: to fight for a different future. Grateful for his willingness, and his progress in recovery! Praying for his next steps.
Silence Breakers and Simplified Stories
- #metoo is all about- and only about- men perpetrating against women. Of course, it's about the misuse of power. And yes, men are typically in the position of power. But victims are not always female. 12 of the 21 victims our project assisted this year are boys. Out of 13 arrests (in Thailand) in October as part of Operation Cross Country, 3 of those arrested were female.
- Child Pornography can be compartmentalized. This is the idea that there is no crossover between pornography, sexual abuse, prostitution, or human trafficking. Out of the last 29 TICAC (Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children) cases of child pornography, 7 of them had overlapping charges of sexual abuse, human trafficking, or both.
The links between all forms of sexual exploitation are complicated. But they exist. And oversimplifying- both problems and solutions ("Just lock 'em up and throw away the key")- is not particularly helpful. Two questions I'm not hearing:
- Why are both offenders and victims getting younger and younger?
- How can we raise an entire generation on a steady diet of violent, pornified media and then wonder?
Thank you for your support in 2017...
Wishing you a joyful, peaceful season~ By His Grace, I will get to spend Christmas with both daughters here. Grateful!
Email: Helen@HUGproject.org
Website: http://theelephantchronicles.com/
Location: Northern Thailand
Phone: +66953215655
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hugprojectthailand/