I was in Thailand this past March for only 8 days, but it was long enough to ruin my world view. Now when children are running around restaurants or skateboarding along the street by themselves I panic. Phil often has to calm me down and lock the car windows so I won't yell at them, in hopes that it will scare them of strangers and they will find their parents. Being in Kenya is a nightmare only in that we are surrounded by abandoned children playing in the streets and no one seems to care except perhaps the pimps that would recruit them. Needless to say, I'm a broken mess from those 8 days, all those months ago. Alex Miller of
Defend and Empower forwarded me a news article this morning that I'd like to share with you, to remind us both that justice does happen occasionally. Alex and I were roommates in Pattaya, Thailand, and she has invested much over there in rehabilitating victims.
The news article is copied from the Pattaya Daily News.
Child Prostitution Ring Uncovered in Pattaya Internet Café
(this article is copy/pasted from http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/11/17/child-prostitution-ring-uncovered-in-pattaya-internet-cafe/)
"The manager of a child prostitution ring has been arrested for the second time in Pattaya for the sale of under aged children to foreign clients for sexual gratification.
Pattaya, 16th November 2010 [PDN] At 10.30pm Police Lieutenant Colonel Kreetha Tonkhanarat, head of the Child and Women Protect Center from Police Gendarme Region2, along with his team and an arrest warrant number 911/2553 signed on 28th October 2010 for the arrest of Mr. Traiphop Bunphasong [40] from Sinkburi, an internet shop owner, for child abuse and providing children for prostitution.
The suspect was arrested in the SF Cinema on the 6th floor, Central Festival, Pattaya Beach Road, whilst watching a film.
Mr. Bunphasong had been arrested previously on 4th July 2010 for child abuse and providing children for prostitution by the same officer and taskforce, but was later bailed.
According to recent records relating to the Child and Women Protection Center, Police Gendarme Region 2 officers had apprehended several foreign suspects who had committed offences of child abuse with further investigations showing that Mr. Bunphasong managed the prostitution of the boy’s under15 years of age for the foreign suspects.
The Officer collected all the necessary evidence before requesting a warrant from the Pattaya Provincial Court for the re-arrest of Mr. Bunphasong.
Under a brief interrogation, the suspect Mr. Bunphasong continued to deny all allegations presented to him by the arresting officer and was subsequently sent to the investigations department for further charges.
This is a continued investigation following the arrest of the internationally renowned Russian musician Mr. Mikhail Pletnev earlier this year when investigators successfully uncovered a network of paedophiles operating through various “front” internet café businesses in Pattaya and statements obtained from a victim of the alleged scam who revealed that the operation involved largely foreign clientele with Thai men acting as intermediaries.
Allegedly after the children ran out of money whilst playing games in often unlicensed internet café, they were offered the chance to pay off debts by performing indecent sexual acts with foreign clients. The Photographs taken of the incidents was then uploaded onto the internet and the child would then continue to earn money in this way to fund their gaming habits or leave.
The Child and Women Protection Center have already devised a “blacklist” of all suspected offenders in the network and investigations into their whereabouts are already underway."
Take THAT, most disgusting people in the world. May all those that prey on children be persecuted in this life and the next.
