Thai Sex Slaver Gets Two Years In Canada

[george]

Sex slaver gets two years

Thai woman used prostitution to exploit victims of human-trafficking

Taking part in "a modern form of slavery" by importing prostitutes into Canada has landed a city madam a two-year prison term and a ticket back to Thailand. Noi Saengchanh pleaded guilty yesterday to three prostitution-related charges, including taking new arrivals in Canada straight to bawdy houses.

"Canada is part of an international accord, the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons," noted Crown prosecutor Dave Torske.

"These efforts are being made to curb the growing trend in international crime known as 'human trafficking.'

"It has been called a modern form of slavery and involves the recruitment, movement and harbouring of people by means of deception, coercion or force."

These crimes are committed "in order to exploit (the victims) through sexual exploitation," he said.

Torske said Saengchanh, 33, was a part owner in a massage parlour called Cloud 9 Body Care, which was a cover for her prostitution operation.

"Ms. Saengchanh participated in meetings and conversations where she conspired to bring women from Thailand into Canada with false immigration documents," he said.

The women were to "work as prostitutes at common bawdy houses in Calgary."

A police investigation commenced in April 2003 and uncovered the human trafficking.

"Detective (Joe) Malicdem was posing as a pimp and the accused disclosed that she could provide him with girls from Thailand to work as prostitutes," Torske said.

Undercover officers met with Saengchanh and her partner, who indicated women could be obtained for a fee of $8,000 to $15,000 each.

The women would then sign a contract agreeing to work as prostitutes in bawdy houses until they earned $40,000 in fees.

Torske said Saengchanh was illegally in Canada using similar fake documents to the ones used to get her victims through customs.

Defence lawyer Adriano Iovinelli agreed with Torske's proposal that his client be handed a two-year sentence on top of the remand time she has already served.

He told provincial court Judge Catherine Skene that would equate to a 40-month term.

Torske added Saengchanh will be taken to an airport and flown back to her homeland the moment she is released.

--The Calgary Sun, CA 2004-07-09

[regpye]

Sentence was too light.

[zappa]

Sentence was too light.

Another 20 years might discourage these people, to be served in their own countries.

[john b good]

"Som nam naa"

When it comes to exploiting ones own people women like Noi are without peers.

[Yohan]

Sentence was too light. 

Another 20 years might discourage these people, to be served in their own countries.

The crime was committed in Canada, and the court had to decide by Canadian law. I do not see any reason, why the court should sentence her to a longer prison-term solely out of the fact, that she is a foreigner.

[stroll]

She may have committed acrime in Thailand as well, like obtaining and using false documents for herself and maybe others. Would be interesting to follow up to see what Thai authorities have to say.

[tuky]

Just out of interest, how is is sex slaves?

[kurgen]

Just out of interest, how is is sex slaves?

submissive

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Just out of interest, how is is sex slaves?

submissive

Alas. they have absolutely no say in at all.

[fatter than harry]

I'd like to become a sex slave, where do I sign?

[john b good]

She may have committed acrime in Thailand as well, like obtaining and using false documents for herself and maybe others. Would be interesting to follow up to see what Thai authorities have to say.

Don't hold your breath "it will be very little" (and after all she was promoting Thai exports)

[zappa]

Sentence was too light. 

Another 20 years might discourage these people, to be served in their own countries.

The crime was committed in Canada, and the court had to decide by Canadian law. I do not see any reason, why the court should sentence her to a longer prison-term solely out of the fact, that she is a foreigner.

The fact that she's a foreigner has nothing to do with it. Anyone dealing in the misery of the slave trade should get a minimum of twenty years after inflicting a life-time of emotional problems on their victims. Maybe Canada should think again about the sentencing of these people.

[rod_kalashnikov]

 

[Yohan]

She got off lightly!  If there was any real justice in the world she would be publicly stoned to death!

I did not know, that we have hard-liner Muslims on this forum, who are adoring Islamic punishments of the Sharia.....

Yes you are right, such bad women must be punished by stoning, and of course in public....

We all truly wish Thailand to convert to the

Islamic Republic of Siam

Stoning women in public is the only true solution for real justice in this world!

[john b good]

Thai prostitutes are not uncommon in Central and Eastern Europe and in Arab Countries ... and they are usually "run" by hard-bitten mama-sans from their own country, who are usually fronting for local gangsters/mafias.

Some of these unfortunates were working girls back home who signed on with their eyes half open ... blinded by promises of huge incomes ... totally unaware of the abysmal conditions under which they would be required to work.

Even more unfortunate are the victims of deception ... non-working girls who were promised employment as nannies/housemaids/etc but found themselves forced into prostitution by threats of violence, and often actual violence.

They all tell the same story: mama-san took away her passport on arrival ... she owes an enormous "debt" which must be repaid in full before her passport will be returned ... and she dare not go to the authorities because mama-san told her she entered the country illegally and would be thrown in jail.

"Going home" is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow ... always just out of reach. Few girls ever make it back home to expose the racket ... they never get out of "debt" ... they just go into a downward spiral, working in increasingly lower-class brothels as they become older and less attractive.

In all these cases, recruiters took advantage of their vitims' poverty and desire for a better life. The girls fell for the con because they knew no better. Almost all working girls in Thailand today insist (rightly) that clients use condoms, primarily because government and NGO education campaigns succeeded in getting the HIV/AIDS message across. A campaign warning girls ... working or not ... about the perils of lucrative overseas job offers could be just as effective.

Back on topic: Who knows how many lives that callous money-grubbing bitch in Canada has destroyed ? She got off lightly! If there was any real justice in the world she would be publicly stoned to death!

Who knows how many lives that callous money-grubbing bitch in Canada has destroyed ?

Agreed but the bottom line is that it is just one more example of a Thai woman exploiting other less fortunate Thai women.

TIT

[rod_kalashnikov]

 

[rod_kalashnikov]

 

[organic]

Seems there's even worse elsewhere:

BBC report on Moldova

Seems poverty there's so extreme, the women involved hardly care any more about the warnings about the dodgy overseas jobs. Even worse, the cops don't have enough money for light bulbs, petrol for their cars, etc.

[rod_kalashnikov]

 

[meemiathai]

Seems there's even worse elsewhere:

BBC report on Moldova

Seems poverty there's so extreme, the women involved hardly care any more about the warnings about the dodgy overseas jobs. Even worse, the cops don't have enough money for light bulbs, petrol for their cars, etc.

Yes, but someone here is still going to say they are just greedy and lazy women!

They have choices!!!

Makes me sick.

[snoophound]

I'd like to become a sex slave, where do I sign?

hmm That reminds me.

Has that place on Soi Art Gallery reopened?

[kat]

I agree that there is absolutely no mercy in my heart for sub-humans that would sell young girls, women, and people into slavery. I also agree that this woman should have gotten more than 2 years in Canada. As these girls were conned in Thailand, and pushed through on forged documents onto another country. So, it does involve Thailand. Don't foreigners in Thailand (and Thais, much worse for Thais) fare worse for drug possession in Thailand or failing a piss test?

However, I believe the stoning comment was just for effect, and in no way seriously considered stoning as a serious punishment, because that punishement in and of itself represents the enslavement of wome as well.

The trafficking of humans and especially girls and women is a global problem. It is especially difficult in S.E. Asia. In Thailand, it is also a problem concerning more than women that are happy to profit from this sick and despicable trade, but also plenty of men. And many of those men, are cheerfully minding the borders, immigration controls, and "law and order" of Thailand.

There are also organizations in Thailand (both local and international) that are trying to deal with this problem. But as perspective, let me just tell you, that I know of at least one center in Northern Thailand that serves as a refuge for sexually abused and raped girls, that gets constant death threats. Go figure.

Also, many of the brothels, massage parlours, and cheap venues for sex also harbour many girls that didn't exactly volunteer for the job. Most of these venues are frequented by local men. The tourist or farang sex venues, are all mostly populated by uncoerced Thai women. The trafficked women and girls have been moved to more underground or obscure venues.

[rod_kalashnikov]

 

[meemiathai]

There are also organizations in Thailand (both local and international) that are trying to deal with this problem.

There should be more! Awareness is the only thing that will protect starry-eyed unworldly girls from the glib and persuasive recruiters who offer them their dreams.

Yes, but the world is too busy looking for money and power to give a shit to these sorts of problems. as far as I can see.

More rights for the poor = Less money and power for the rich

[kat]

There are also organizations in Thailand (both local and international) that are trying to deal with this problem.

There should be more! Awareness is the only thing that will protect starry-eyed unworldly girls from the glib and persuasive recruiters who offer them their dreams.

Yes, but the world is too busy looking for money and power to give a shit to these sorts of problems. as far as I can see.

More rights for the poor = Less money and power for the rich

I couldn't agree with meeiathai and rod more. I've actually started to look into this issue more fully and am going to start working on this with other organizations. There are many reports that have been released about this issue, including a UN report that was reported by the Nation a couple of weeks ago.

Although, I do not agree that rape centers for sexually abused girls receive death threats everywhere. Facts just don't support this, but rape does occur everywhere, but under different cultural and socioeconomic circumstances. In S.E. Asia, more than 80 percent of cases are by people that are known to the victim, but only a fraction are reported.

And I can guarantee you that the sexual trafficking of girls and women throughout S.E. Asia is one of the busiest networks in the world. As we speak. Right now, it involves a lot of Burmese migrant women and stateless hilltribe girls. Most Thai women get trafficked out to Japan, under the pretense of entertainment work, which is understood to be sex work, but most do not realize that they are going to have their passports taken away, placed under immediate debt bondage, abused and terrorised by the Japanese Yakuza, and basically enslaved. In America, a lot of girls are being trafficked from Mexico over the border.

This really sickens me and I wish more people cared about this to do something.

[maerim]

but "my" sentence of death by stoning would be applied equally to men and women.

I for one don't think this would work.

How many joints would one have to smoke to snuff it and how long would it take?

On the other hand there could be worse ways of saying goodbye.

In S.E. Asia, more than 80 percent of cases are by people that are known to the victim, but only a fraction are reported.

If thats the case how do "they" know?

[kat]

but "my" sentence of death by stoning would be applied equally to men and women.

I for one don't think this would work.

How many joints would one have to smoke to snuff it and how long would it take?

On the other hand there could be worse ways of saying goodbye.

In S.E. Asia, more than 80 percent of cases are by people that are known to the victim, but only a fraction are reported.

If thats the case how do "they" know?

This is a general quote that is thrown around by different sources both here in Thailand and Malaysia. It's probably not completely disagreggated, the way a lot of the transportation fatatality statistics in S.E. Asia are not generally disagreggated (except in Thailand and Malaysia).

According to a new rape crisis center that opened in Bangkok a few months ago, 80 percent of the first reported cases were committed by people the person knew. I've seen this same statistic for Malaysia. Researchers know that many women (especially in Asia) do not report rape, because of the cultural stigma attached to coming forward and the difficulty many women have in coming forward. At a rape crisis center in the North, a lot of those girls were abused repeatedly and only came forward after they were able to confide in a social worker that gained their trust. And this is the same center that receives death threats, because now one of the accused is a nearby resident.

[john b good]

but "my" sentence of death by stoning would be applied equally to men and women.

I for one don't think this would work.

How many joints would one have to smoke to snuff it and how long would it take?

On the other hand there could be worse ways of saying goodbye.

In S.E. Asia, more than 80 percent of cases are by people that are known to the victim, but only a fraction are reported.

If thats the case how do "they" know?

This is a general quote that is thrown around by different sources both here in Thailand and Malaysia. It's probably not completely disagreggated, the way a lot of the transportation fatatality statistics in S.E. Asia are not generally disagreggated (except in Thailand and Malaysia).

According to a new rape crisis center that opened in Bangkok a few months ago, 80 percent of the first reported cases were committed by people the person knew. I've seen this same statistic for Malaysia. Researchers know that many women (especially in Asia) do not report rape, because of the cultural stigma attached to coming forward and the difficulty many women have in coming forward. At a rape crisis center in the North, a lot of those girls were abused repeatedly and only came forward after they were able to confide in a social worker that gained their trust. And this is the same center that receives death threats, because now one of the accused is a nearby resident.

more than 80 percent of cases are by people that are known to the victim

This is not a phenomena unique to SE Asia.

It is a statistic found in many countries of the world.

It is interesting though that a man cannot be prosecuted for raping his wife in Thailand.

I guess that this reduces the incidence of reported rapes in the realm.

TIT

[meemiathai]

This really sickens me and I wish more people cared about this to do something.

Nice that there are people like you who cares. Making this world a better(less bad) place to live. Thanks.

Is there anything I could do?

[rod_kalashnikov]