BANGKOK (dpa) – Many children who have experienced brothels, slavery, abuse and rape in Thailand remain literally speechless for a long time afterwards.
“In the safety of our child protection houses, some victims take up to six months before they talk about the terrible events”, says Atchara Chan-o-Kul, a 34-year-old lawyer and psychologist who works in the Bangkok Centre for the Protection of Children’s Rights (CPR).The centre is supported by the international child protection organisation Terre des Hommes based in Osnabrueck, Germany and other international organisations.There is no end to the abduction and sale of children from impoverished northern regions to brothels and factories. The same can be said of violence towards children within their own families.“We are becoming stronger in the battle against child abusers,” says Atchara, stressing that it’s not all bad news. “Child protection groups, authorities, press, police and lawmakers are working better together. We are receiving tips from within a neighbourhood, from relatives and teachers.”The fact that in recent years, several brothels with minors and a factory where children had to work over 14 hours a day as forced labourers have been raided, is evidence of this.Along with school, psychological care and household duties, plenty of time still remains in the CPR house with yard and garden on the outskirts of Bangkok for fun and games.The two girls – Nok, 9, and Chiab, 11, – have left the worst behind them and put great trust in Atchara. Chiab says: “This here is a very different, much better world.”Thanks to CPR, many parents have been able to embrace their missing children, who had been seized by child traffickers, once again. The centre has several houses and contact offices in Thailand. Reintegrating victims of violence within a family is particularly difficult.Walter Skrobanek, 60, has been a coordinator for Terre des Hommes in Thailand for 25 years. In spite of all their suffering, many children still want to return to their families and wish for a peaceful home.”Psychologist Atchara quotes girls whose personalities and souls were rebuilt and put on an improved mental footing after having endured sex abuse in the family: “I want to go home. But father or uncle cannot touch me again.” In such cases, plenty of tact and sensitivity is required and sometimes legal pressure.Skrobanek praises CPR’s work and the growing awareness for child protection needs in Thailand: “We are reinforcing native powers who have been fighting child abuse for a long time and are now receiving more support from religious organisations such as Misereor or from Belgian, French or Dutch groups.Informing the country population, especially in the north is important. Poverty and the danger posed by traffickers are prominent there. Staff from the child protection centres visit the families and warn them about “agents” who want to attract children “for good wages and good work” to the southern metropolises.Terre des Hommes and CPR are committed to increased cooperation with the neighbouring countries of China, Myanma, Laos and Vietnam because minors are also being seized there to be brought to Thailand.According to Skrobanek, campaigns by German organisations and tour operators coupled with hotel checks has largely helped keep tourists in holiday resorts from having sexual intercourse with minors.Traffickers and brothel owners still offer their dubious services in more remote premises. Skrobanek says: “In any case, life has definitely become more dangerous for child abusers.”
