limbo Posted January 16, 2006 Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 ?Trafficked? woman sues gang Published on January 16, 2006 A woman will next week file a civil lawsuit, accusing a gang of three people of trafficking her as a sex worker in Japan. The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and Fight Against Child Exploitation (FACE) are supporting the plaintiff, Urairat Soimee, in her suit which will be filed with Lom Sak Provincial Court in Phetchabun tomorrow. Human trafficking cases are usually filed in criminal courts but Urairat?s civil suit was considered the first of its kind. ?Victims have never filed civil cases against gangs because society often viewed them to be accomplices. In fact, they were wronged as they had been deceived and forced into prostitution,? said an NHRC official who added that non-governmental organisations want the suit to become ?a model? for others to follow. The plaintiff said she was duped into working as a prostitute in Japan in 2000 by three people in her hometown of Lom Sak. The accused are related to each other. They had promised to send Urairat to work at a Thai restaurant but then forced her to be a sex worker and charged her one million baht, she said. After working for a period of time, Urairat said she found the situation unbearable and tried to escape. During her attempt, Urairat said she accidentally killed a ?mama san? or pimp. She was arrested and the Japanese court sentenced her to seven years in prison. She was released and allowed to return to Thailand in the fifth year when she was diagnosed to be dying of ovarian cancer. In 2004, the Lom Sak Provincial Court ruled that the three were guilty and faced jail. Two were able to post bail, however, because of their ages. Urairat returned to Thailand in October and filed a petition to the Rights and Liberties Protection Department for compensation. But she was told her right to compensation had expired as victims need to file their petitions within a year. Apart from filing the civil lawsuit, the NHRC will also press for amending the right of victims to petition for compensation. Chatrarat Kaewmorakot The Nation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 16, 2006 Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 << forced her to be a sex worker and charged her one million baht, she said. >> Nice family she comes from. And great Japanese courts ... kill someone who is holding you prisoner and you go to jail! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted January 16, 2006 Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 Nice to hear a story about action being taken against some of the lower life forms in LOS, but the cynic in me says this is more a political or publicity exercise than anything. Don't get me wrong I feel for this girl and I am glad to see she will hopefully see some form of justice but I can't help thinking this is more about the NHRC or FACE. They will put their names to a case for their own political agendas if it suits them. The UNHCR are netorious for turning a blind eye to people trafficking right under their noses throughout LOS. Why this case in particular of any significance to them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 gang of three only takes 3 to make a gang? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 pasathai said:gang of three only takes 3 to make a gang? Perhaps business was slow and they had to lay some off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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