The other day, the newspapers mentioned a young Thai woman who died in the Detention Centre in Sydney as a result of heroin withdrawal. Such a story may seem all too ordinary for us to think more of it. However, this woman deserves much more from the world community than a brief mention in the papers. It is with deep respect that a little of her life is shared on this page.
Puangthong Simaplee was twenty seven when she died. She had been a slave for fifteen years, a slave, here in Australia! It could be said that slavery was her addiction to heroin and that heroin took away her freedom. But this young woman had never known what freedom was.
Puangthong Simaplee grew up in Thailand, in awful poverty. When she was just twelve years old, she was sold and forced to leave her family and was smuggled into Sydney, where she became a sex worker. Somehow, when other twelve-year olds were beginning High School, when they were learning about history and geography, when they were enjoying art and music and reading John Marsden and playing soccer and netball, and going to discos and hanging around shopping centres, Puangthong Simaplee was being forced to work as a prostitute.
She was probably paid little or no money for her work. No doubt, she could not speak English. No doubt, she had no idea how neither to leave the horrors of her 'employment' nor to find her family?and no doubt someone introduced her to heroin. Who looked for Puangthong
Simaplee? Who knew where she was or what she was doing? Who used her and tossed her aside when they had finished with her? Did anyone treat her kindly or ask her about her life?
When the Australian authorities came across her, they decided she had abused our system of immigration. Puangthong Simaplee was taken to a detention centre where illegal migrants are held and it was here that she died, after becoming very, very ill.
We Australians, (we give anyone a fair go, mate) - well, where were we - Some of us will say that maybe it was her own fault. Some of us will blame her parents for selling her in the first place. Most of us will say that we did not know that people were still sold into slavery.
A slave is someone who is unpaid. A slave is someone who is controlled by violence or the threat of violence. A slave is unable to leave their 'employer'. Puangthong Simaplee was a slave. It is said that there are twenty seven million slaves in the world in 2003. Many of them are children. Some are sex slaves like Puangthong Simaplee. Some are victims of bonded labour and some are forced into being child soldiers.
It's time to end slavery ... again!
TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR SCHOOL PROJECT COMPASSION KITS? THE THEME IS 'FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY'. CONTACT CARITAS AUSTRALIA IMMEDIATELY!
Religion
1. The theme for this year's Project Compassion is Freedom from Slavery. In Nepal a group of dedicated people, like Suna (pictured) are working with communities to raise awareness of the trafficking of women and children for prostitution.
a) Discuss: How would Suna raise this kind of awareness in the towns and villages of Nepal? What might make her work hard? What would give her hope? What reasons might parents have when they agree to 'sell' their son or daughter?
b) Learn more about trafficking of women and children from Project Compassion materials, available at www.caritas.org.au
c) Discuss the meaning behind the words of the hymn that we often sing: "Gentile or Jew, Servant or Free, Woman or Man, No more".
H.S.I.E.
Create a chronological overview of the history of slavery in the world. You will find assistance in the August, 2001 edition of New Internationalist, or visit their website (newint.org.au), go to the Mega-Index and click on 'S', scroll down the topics for 'S', until you come to Slavery. Add information about slavery in the world today. Include in your chronology previous efforts to abolish slavery.
English
1. a) Watch the Slide Presentation on Child Labour from the International Labour Organisation Go to http://www.ilo.org/ Go to 'Featured Works'. Click on 'Of every Hundred Children: Child Labour Today'.
b) Create a Powerpoint Presentation on Slavery in the world.
c) There is a viewing and representing task based on the 'three shoes poster' in the Secondary Schools Kits. Contact Caritas Australia for a copy of the kit.
PARISH/COMMUNITY GROUPS
Be aware and alarmed?for those who suffer the abuses of slavery in the Australian community.
The story of the young woman mentioned in the article can be found at the following sources:
The Australian: 'Drug implicated in sex slave's death', Elisabeth Wynhausen March 14, 2003
Sydney Morning Herald: 'Sold at 12: nightmare ends in death'. Leonie Lamont, March 13 2003
Well worth reading in your group: Trafficking in Women for Prostitution: Ms Kathleen Maltzahn, Australian Women Conference, Canberra, August 2001
http://www.osw.dpmc.gov.au/resources/conference/trafficking_in_women.html
Download from the Caritas website a copy of the petition to end slavery.
