Study Finds Over 9,000 Brothels Masquerading as Legit Businesses

Hey guys,


I hope everyone's having a great week (and getting pumped for conference)! I wanted to bring to light an issue concerning the growing worldwide sex trafficking industry, mainly the branch that deals within warranted establishments, namely businesses masquerading as massage parlors. These are an example of the sex trafficking industry within developed western countries, namely the US and Europe, and the article cites a study by the national anti-human trafficking organization Polaris stating that over 9,000 of these brothels in the US alone are claiming to be legitimate.

Outwardly, they pose multiple issues to law enforcement: visitors have an immediate alibi of "just wanting a massage", most workers are brought from places like China or South Korea, and so speak little to no English, and there are no immediate warning signs; Esther Lai, a Polaris consultant on survivor experiences explains that "Women are rarely locked or chained inside massage parlors, but this does not mean that they feel empowered to leave". This is an example of implicit, rather than explicit, sexual slavery; women are bound by financial and social pressure to stay in their circumstance, but these reasons are quick to be shut down by the traffickers or store owners in any legal scenario.

Media outlets focus on the brothel industry in Southeast Asia, namely Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines; these countries have an outward acceptance of sex trafficking and tourism, and government interference is basically nonexistent. For example, according to the US Department of State 2008 Country Narrative, foreign domestic workers in Singapore often face "unlawful confiscation of their travel documents, restrictions on their movements, confinement, and/or physical and sexual abuse". However, through this coverage, western nations are partially exonerated in their contribution to the global sex trafficking system, however, this couldn't be further from the truth, establishments such as these are just as prevalent in places like the US, but fall under the radar for both law enforcement and media coverage.

Delegates should ask how, as members of an international community, how outwardly-legitimate brothels can be identified and prosecuted with limited overhead. How should countries change their legal frameworks to stop putting blame on the women and girls, but rather on traffickers and sex-buyers? What steps should be taken on an international scale to combat new techniques for marketing brothels and sex tourism, such as through internet forums and websites?

Discuss down below in the comments! And if you have any questions about this post or conference logistics, feel free to email us!

Article
Country Narratives


~ Soham

Sex Trafficking in the US - the Super Bowl

Hi delegates,

I came across some interesting articles commenting on the relationship between sex trafficking and one of the world's most high-profile sporting events - the Super Bowl. With the event in Minneapolis and the Eagle's unexpected victory fresh in our minds, sex trafficking is probably one of the last things that you typically associate with the spectacle.

However, sex trafficking in the US spikes considerably around large events such as these, setting off alarm bells for organizations trying to keep the public safe. The commotion and excitement of the event creates a supposed cover for captors to seek out and take advantage of unweary individuals. It's also been said that the influx of new visitors flooding local hotels and additional facilities blurs the situation further, making it difficult for authorities to intervene appropriately.

This is an interesting read that introduces sex trafficking in relation to the Super Bowl: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/super-bowl-sex-trafficking_n_2607871.html

Clearly, this is just an introduction and I encourage you to do your own additional research.

If you choose to do so, you'll definitely come across just as reputable articles arguing against the connection between the Super Bowl and sex trafficking. Critics call into question to the motive behind perpetuating this "myth" and speculate that the story is just a cover up for government entities and police organizations to wield additional influence. Attendees have described the scene at the event comparable to a "police state" where there were multiple armed officials at various checkpoints. Moreover, some critics have suggested that ICE officials capitalize on the situation by arresting undocumented individuals at the event under the guise of protective services against sex trafficking.

Read one perspective here: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-superbowl-trafficking-an/is-the-super-bowl-really-the-u-s-s-biggest-sex-trafficking-magnet-idUSKBN1FL6A1

What do you think? 

How can government authorities keep the public safe without infringing on personal rights?

Are the current preventative measures used the most effective to combat this issue?

Does the issue of sex trafficking at the Super Bowl at larger social and political implications? Are they being addressed appropriately?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below. See you in a few weeks!

Banning the Burqa

Hello All!

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! We are now just a mere 24 days out from the first day of conference, so I hope that everyone is having fun with their research. Today's blog post is going to be in relation to the religious freedom topic, pertaining especially to the Burqa (covering that hides a Muslim woman's face) and the news surrounding it.

This article was taken from The Economist and talks about how many nations around the world have taken up the responsibility of banning women from wearing clothing that covers up their faces. Reading such articles, one may find that the only reason such actions are promoted is due to the culture of terrorism that is promoted - criminals like those from Boko Haram use such clothing to hide strap on bombs which make it hard for security teams all around the world to stop such attacks. Attacks like those in N’Djamena, Chad’s capital, and Cameroon do not help restore faith. However, such attacks should not justify banning a certain type of clothing that promotes ones religion and has gained ones faith. There have been several situations in Chad when women wearing Burka's were throw in jail with the threat of being "charged with complicity in terrorism".

When thinking about this topic, be wary to not inflict your personal opinions, but think from the perspective of your assigned nation. Is it right to target the whole Muslim population for activities that are performed by a terrorist organization? Do you think that your country can perform a better role in helping member nations reach a level where Muslims, especially women, are treated?

Try and answer these questions when you read this article and see how your country can tackle this problem. You should think about possible solutions to this problem that are not only plausible, but also implementable in the near future. As usual, please feel free to state any thoughts, questions or concerns that you may have in the comments down below, or contact us directly on our emails!

Have a great rest of the week!

~Ruchir :D

Article : Banning the Burqa