Greyman Blog

These Armidale Class Patrol Boats are primarily tasked with border protection, fisheries patrols, immigration, customs and drug law enforcement operations, although two vessels are permanently assigned to protecting the oil and gas production facilities of the North West Shelf Venture. An Armidale class boat, the fictional HMAS Hammersley, appeared in the second and third seasons of Australian military drama series Sea Patrol.

Here at Grey Man we think the ship looks great and although Shane thinks that he and his crew are a little more rough around the edges we think they are a great bunch of guys. Shane is by his own admission “the chubby grinning submariner (more shiny gold on my patch) in the front middle, the others are my lads”

HMAS GLENELG at sea in Darwin

Captain and crew

 Shane and his crew have been some of our most enthusiastic supporters with ABLE SEAMAN Brian Mobbs being continuously creative in raising charity money. According to Lt. Cdr Doolin, “So far Brian has had a poker competition, sold the rights to a swim-ex and charges people $2 every time we go to sea if they choose not to shave …. small amounts but he never lets up”. 

Recently, captain and crew had a chance to wear their Grey Man T-shirts and the Captain had this to say: 

“Just a quick update as we have now left Colombo, Sri Lanka and as you can see we played the Sri Lankan Navy in cricket.  

Unfortunately we learnt that you should NEVER play cricket in the subcontinent and we were soundly defeated. In the end ‘cricket’ was the real winner on the day!! We put up a gallant fight and as you can see the GREY MAN shirts were worn with pride (about 20 of us) and at least made us look the part. Next stop will be more cricket in India!!

My crew wear the shirts at sea, I will get a pic from my bridge with 90% of my guys in their shirts, they love the design and colour and I have sold out of nearly everything now!!”

Sri Lankan cricket

 

 

They lost but still winners

Grey Man has been quietly sending people into Cambodia for the past 6 months in order to understand the child trafficking situation there and to see which NGO’s and police Grey Man could work with in Phnom Penh and other cities. We like to know what we are up against before we commit Grey Man operatives to any theatre of operations. As a final exercise we sent our Director of Operations from Australia to discuss our involvement with likely partners in Cambodia. He spent some time investigating the red light areas and liaising with local NGO’s (especially International Justice Mission-IJM) and the police to determine the best way for Grey Man to operate in country.

Last Sunday night our Director of Operations, ‘Tony’ approached a moto driver (motorcycle taxi) to discuss the possibility of accessing some young girls. The moto driver said he could supply the girls and took ‘Tony’ to a brothel in the countryside outside Phnom Penh. The results were inconclusive as the girls did not appear to be underage but with Asian girls it is often difficult to tell. ‘Tony’ declined the offer of being a client and was returned to the city. A few days later the moto driver contacted him and said he had two girls available who were young, so ‘Tony’ arranged to meet with him and immediately informed the local office of International Justice Mission (IJM) who arranged for the police to assist.

The Moto driver took ‘Tony’ to a nearby hotel where he met with a young Cambodian pimp who took ‘Tony’ to one of the hotel rooms. There were no girls visible but when the Cambodian was asked how old the girls were he opened the bathroom door and a 14 year old and ten year old (yes, 10!!) came out. They were Vietnamese girls who had been trafficked into Cambodia.

!4 and 10 year old Vietnamese girls rescued from Cambodian pimp

A price was negotiated but ‘Tony’ said he would have to get extra cash from his hotel room. This was in order to extricate himself from the room in order to confirm to the police that the girls were actually present and that they were underage.

The Cambodian agreed and as soon as ‘Tony’ left he signalled the police and IJM.  He returned to the room on the pretext of paying the money and as per arrangements the police knocked on the door of the hotel room soon after ‘Tony’ had re-entered it. The police arrested the pimp and the moto driver. The children were taken into custody and placed with a shelter run by a British NGO.  Grey Man will fund their ongoing recovery and education and investigations are continuing to snare other traffickers.

This is our first operation in Cambodia and by all accounts a great success. It received widespread coverage in the Australian media and resulted in an overwhelming response from the Australian public. Grey Man would like to thank our Director of Operations (‘Tony’), IJM, the Cambodian Police and Grey Man supporters everywhere for allowing us to do what we do best.   What’s more with Australia Day happening the day after I can think of no greater tribute to our country on our national day than that Australians put themselves in harms way to rescue kids in South East Asia.  We should all be proud. Well done

John Curtis

March 18, 2009

Grey Man Operatives, in a combined operation with the Thai Police, arrested three members of a Laotian trafficking ring (including the ringleader) who have been transporting ethnic minority children from Laos into Thailand. The girls were sold to brothels and karaoke bars for sex work, and to factories for slave labour. Today, five 15-year old girls were rescued from the traffickers in an undercover operation this morning.

Boat used by the traffickers to enter Thailand illegally from Laos

In 2005, families in Hill-Tribe villages in Laos were approached by a group of Lao males who were led by a man named Aunwieng who was arrested today. He told the families that he would take their daughters and find them good jobs in Thailand. He also gave an advance on the girls’ salary to their parents, around 20,000 Thai Baht each : US$600 for each girl.

The girls stated that Aunwieng took them to Thailand where they were passed on to a female Laotian trafficker who put them to work in the sex industry. The girls were initially working at a karaoke bar in Pharn for a few weeks and were then trafficked to another province by a Thai male. They were eventually arrested by Thai Immigration Police and handed over to a Thai NGO. Although the girls’ statements were taken, the case managed to get ‘lost’ for three years.

The Thai NGO contacted us a month ago and asked if we could help. We responded and sent a team to investigate. Our people met with the Police in Bangkok responsible for the case. Covertly, we contacted people who knew the traffickers and organized to meet with them. We flew Prosecutors to interview the girls and met with a Police contingent to map out an action plan. Arrest Warrants were to be issued but could not be issued in time for our meeting with the traffickers. As a result of this, we negotiated to buy four girls from the traffickers and have the girls delivered at a later date.

Finally, the Arrest Warrants were ready and we just had to wait for a call from the traffickers. It came earlier this week. Grey Man then rolled into action with covert equipment and Operatives.

Traffickers arrested on the beach

A series of meetings were held on Wednesday 18th March with police involved in the case.  Plans were made for four separate operations. One involved arresting the traffickers at two locations as well as separate raids on a house and a brothel.

At 10:00 am today, a Grey Man Team met with the first trafficker. By 10:05am one trafficker, Aunwieng, was in police custody. Another two traffickers were in police custody by 11:00 am and the girls that they wanted to sell to us were under Police protection. Only one trafficker resisted arrest but was quickly subdued.  Another girl was rescued from the house of one of the traffickers in a subsequent raid.

The face of the ringleader

These traffickers are part of a larger criminal ring and we expect up to seven further arrests. This gang has been acting without fear for many years and we estimate they have been moving 8-10 girls per month. Grey Man’s destruction of their ring means around 100 girls per year have been saved from trafficking.

One of the 15-year old girls rescued by Grey Man with a police guard

All at The Grey Man again convey our sincere thanks to the Thai Police CWD unit from Bangkok for an excellent job and to our Grey Man Team in Thailand for putting their lives on the line.

This is what we do.

John

Usually Grey Man operations in Thailand involve the rescue of ethnic minority or hill-tribe children who have no citizenship and therefore are easy prey for traffickers. Sometimes children are Burmese or Laotian and trying to support themselves and their families, but occasionally we rescue Thai citizens as well. A recent case involved three Thai girls and highlights a worrying trend. Two of the girls were 16, not working and simply wanted to make some cash to pay for mobile phones, smart clothes and entertainment.

Consumerism and materialism are increasing factors in the movement of Thai girls into prostitution, with a number of Thai schoolgirls and university women entering sex work to fund their lifestyles.  It is also an increasing factor in trafficking of children from the ethnic minorities as they, their parents, or both, simply want to acquire the material benefits of the modern world. This can mean anything from a new car, motorbike or TV to a mobile phone, dresses, shoes and jewelry.

However, in this recent case, the third girl, Peng (not her real name) had run away from home because her grandmother wanted her to go to school in another province where the education was free. To go to this school Peng had to live with her grandmother whom she did not like. Peng’s mother was widowed and poor so she encouraged the move to the free school. Peng, who was fifteen, did not want to leave her usual school and was very unhappy so she ran away from home and fell in with her two friends (the sixteen year-olds mentioned above).

Peng - another successful rescue

Two days later they encouraged Peng to come with them to a new job where they could make a lot of money quickly, so Peng joined them. Little did she know that the two older girls had been recruited by a 21-year old sex worker and her virginity was about to be sold for 10,000 baht (AUD$450) of which she would receive 2500 baht (AUD$112) and the older girls would be paid 2000 baht each to have sex with clients.

This story could have had the typical tragic ending where Peng, who did not know she had been sold, would have resisted and been raped. The damage done to her would have resulted in her manipulation by the pimp and, with her self-esteem damaged; she would have become another statistic. A girl with a bright future damaged beyond repair, continuing on in sex work and possibly dying young from AIDS like so many before her.

Luckily, and unknown to the pimp, the client was The Grey Man and the pimp was about to become a victim of one of our sting operations. Our operatives met the girls in a hotel room, and to make a long story much shorter, the police arrested the pimp. The girl’s parents were called. Social workers working with The Grey Man interviewed the girls and discovered Peng’s story. Her mother was shocked when contacted and she came to pick Peng up.

They both sat down with a social worker and an hour later Peng’s mother agreed to let Peng stay at her school and move in with an aunt she loved to minimize expenses for her mother. The mother was extremely relieved that her daughter had not become another victim of the sex trade. The story made the front page of the local newspaper but as usual we asked not to be mentioned and allowed the police to take the credit, richly deserved, as they did a great job.

This story could have ended so very differently but luckily Grey Man operatives are in the front line against trafficking, protecting girls like Peng and we are grateful to all of our supporters who allow us to keep them there. Thank you.

John

Northern Thailand.
My wife and I are sitting on the verandah of the trekking lodge that Grey Man provided the initial funding for and was then finished with help from Nike, Thailand. We are taking a break from our hectic schedule of checking on Grey Man projects and kicking back with a cup of coffee and admiring the view. As the sounds of the village below drift up to us I have a chance to reflect on what can be accomplished when people who care enough choose to take action.

The trekking lodge

A few years ago this village was very poor and had the unenviable statistic of having the highest incidence of AIDS in Thailand.  Sad but true. Our friend Sila took me to the bamboo grove just outside the  vllage where they bury their dead.  So many gravesites, so many deaths from AIDS.  So many good people.  Young girls lured to the cities and into prostitution, trafficked often by relatives or people they knew.

Every time I pass a certain house in the village which is more elegant than the bamboo huts surrounding it I am reminded of the girl who went to Bangkok to work in a karaoke bar , only to catch HIV and come back to the village to die. This house is the one she built for her mother before she died.

However, in just a few short years, our partner agency Kids Ark has helped turn the statistics around through education, HIV/AIDS awareness and alternative income sources. Each time I come here the village quality of life has improved just a little bit more.

One view from the verandah of the lodge

This trekking lodge that Grey Man started now provides full-time income for one family and part-time income for another 23 families, including 3 school-girls (Nana (12), Ima (12) and May(11)) who help with the cooking. It also contributes funds to the community health centre, the village temple, regular sports days for the school kids, upkeep of the toilets, and assists with taking trekkers and locals to the district hospital if sickness or injuries occur.

Our initiatives to transport kids to school and support kids education, including assistance to their families, in this and other villages has reduced the chances of trafficking to virtually zero.

One of our school buses

Think on this. These initiatives were started by people who took action even when the obstacles were daunting. They were never ready to change the world but they did change it for this village. You will never be smart enough, capable enough, organized enough or strong enough to make a difference in the world……so stop waiting till you are and just do it anyway:-)

John.

I want to introduce you today to one of the heroes of anti-trafficking.  Her name is Somaly Mam.  She was trafficked into a brothel around the age of 11 and was beaten, raped and tortured but she survived.  She went on to become a champion of children and has rescued over 4000 children from the sex trade.  Grey Man operatives have worked with her organisation AFESIP in Thailand and we hope to work with her people even more in the future, but for now I’d like you to view the video of Somaly and realise what one person can do against overwhelming odds.

We recently visited a trekking lodge that Grey Man seed money built in one of the Lahu villages of northern Thailand.  We trekked with the Lahu four years ago and looked at their infrastructure.  They approached us about building a trekking lodge to support their fledgling trekking venture and bring income into the village (an important step in trafficking prevention).  So, we provided the initial funding to build the lodge and now only two years later the lodge provides a rotating income for 25 of the villagers who assist with the trekking as well as a percentage going to the community fund.

When we visited we were impressed with the job they had done.  It is such a nice place with a beautiful view that we will always stay there when we vist the Lahu in the future to check on the progress of various projects.  Eventually we may organise treks from Australia to raise more income for the village but for now we look forward to our next visit.  Providing people with income is one more nail in the traffickers coffin as there is less incentive to sell children when an alternative income is available

Lodge funded by The Grey Man

We realised a long-time back that rescuing children was not enough.  The real answer lies in giving children a future and that requires education.  Ethnic minority children often do not go to school or for only a minimal time.  This leads to lower employment prospects in the future.  To combat this issue we partnered with Kid’s Ark Foundation  in Thailand.  Their main focus is the support and care of AIDS orphans but they also have provided education to hundreds of children.

We liked their style and their philosophy.  They made financial support for a family conditional on the children attending school.  If the children were removed from school to be trafficked or for any other reason the money stopped coming.  This works very well and all of the children supported this way remain in school.  Grey Man started our prevention programme by supporting 28 families in one of the Lahu hill-tribe villages.  We continue this but have since expanded into providing transport for 100 children spread across three villages.  Without this transport many of these children would never receive an education. 

Motorbike donated by The Grey Man

We have also provided a motorbike for one child shelter that will allow the social workers to take information on trafficking to the villages at risk and will be used to travel to the families of trafficking victims to discuss re-integration into the family. 

Kru Nam is one of our favourite people so we have just provided the final payment for a truck to take Burmese ethnic minority kids from Kru Nam’s shelter to school. 

These two last projects were accomplished in partnership with Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS).  They are all small steps but have the potential to create a major impact in the life of these children.

Based on child rescue work done by The Grey Man Inc in Thailand in the four months to November 2008 we can conclude the following:

• Illegal trafficking of children for the sex trade is increasing.
• Court sentences for trafficking children have increased and are more severe for children under 14 years.
• Those rescued range from mainstream Thai’s to hilltribe children from Thailand and neighbouring countries, to Burmese and Lao children. Even Chinese and Cambodian children are trafficked into Thailand but to a lesser extent than the others.
• Race of children trafficked varies with their location.
• The underage sex trade is getting more difficult to find as a result of stiffer penalties and police action.
• Not surprisingly the sex trade in the larger popular tourist destinations is operated by organised crime, both Thai and International.

If you have information that can assist the Grey Man Inc in its rescue work, please email us - you will find our address on the website.

Grey Man Inc  Director