Human trafficking and the protection

Apr 27, 2013 Editorial

Human trafficking has long been denied by the authorities here. The denial might have been based on the fact that as a hospitable people we have not been known to exploit others to the extent that the exploited were seen as slaves.
Indeed, we have had numerous cases of girls in particular job hunting and ending up in shops and entertainment parlours where they served as waitresses. The employer was shrewd in that he used these women to advertise his ware, acting on the basis that sex sells. However, it was not known that the employer would have these girls peddle their bodies on his premises.
But times have changed and with increasing competition people have been resorting to a variety of measures to stay one step ahead of the game. Today, not only do they use the girls to grab attention to the business, they are now having these girls offering sex on location. And with the lure of money in the gold fields there seems to be no scarcity of these girls.
The traditional source of human flesh has been the hinterland communities but that was when the jobs were on offer on the coastland. Today those jobs are in the hinterland. Another feature is the age of some of these girls.
These businesses that trade in human flesh recruit the younger girls because it would seem that the younger the girl the more excited the male customer would be.
The government has set up a task force but this task force can only work on information; it is not equipped to make periodic visits to the locations from which the reports of human trafficking emanates. In the city, it did conduct raids which have to prosecutions. More recently, the head of a city night spot renowned for exhibiting female flesh appeared in court charged with human trafficking.
This raid did not uncover tip of the iceberg but it reinforced the insistent view in some quarters that human trafficking is rife in Guyana. About a decade ago the United States decided to threaten Guyana that unless it enacted legislation the country would be sanctioned.
The local leaders raised a hue and cry but they introduced the necessary legislation and ensured that Guyana enjoyed an improved ranking on the international scale. The United States was to issue yet another report a few years later because the local situation had not improved. Again there were denials but the investigators were at pains to point out that there were no prosecutions.
Recent events now reveal that human trafficking is more widespread that even the authorities wanted to believe. The head of a local non-governmental organization went to a location in the Middle Mazaruni and rescued four girls, two of who were even below the age of consent. One was as young as 14.
The sorry state of affairs led to the arrest of a policeman who appeared to side with the people involved in human trafficking. Hopefully, other Government officials who seemed to be in cahoots with the human traffickers are prosecuted. They man the points of entry and are expected to prevent the suspicious movement of people in the hinterland.
However, recently they not only allowed underage girls to pass through but they also sought to protect the human trafficker. One is left to wonder at the extent to which they facilitate the human trafficking trade.
Globally, human trafficking is second only to the drug trade. In Guyana this may also be the case. What is shocking that those law enforcers who support the trade know that the victims are actually sex slaves. In one case a policeman was said to have been keeping money paid to these sex slaves.
Sadly, although the issue is now public knowledge there will always be these young girls who would present themselves to go to locations under the impression that they would suffer a different fate. Then again, where are the parents?

Latest News

Human trafficking and the protection

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Semi-Finals line up set for Maid Marian Wheat Up Women’s Cup 2024

Young Warriors Cricket Club fulfills its annual...

Chase’s Academic lift 2024 KFC Goodwill Int’l...

Remaining teams in the inaugural K&S/One...

Capital FC, Hi Stars, Silver Shattas win as...

Renuka, Mandhana consign West Indies to record...

Features/Columnists

Chilling reminders that we are not safe

Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will

Fear of retribution

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Human trafficking and the protection

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]