The theme underlying the six days trip to Cheng Rai and Chiang Mai was “Human Trafficking and child abuse”. Coming from India where human trafficking is rampant and blatant, I must confess the visit and observations were not as daunting to me as to some of the other fellows coming from more developed economies, who were visibly disturbed after listening to some of the stories. Akis who has written a paper on human trafficking in Europe admitted to this in the wrap-up discussion we had on the last day.
I guess one of the predominant reasons why the stories of child abuse, prostitution, human rights violations to persons being trafficked and used for domestic slavery or in fishing industry did not disturb me as much is probably because I tried to explain this phenomena using the principles/laws of “Cause and Effect”. Whilst it might sound bizarre to those with a purely scientific bent of mind, to me, without a shadow of a doubt these laws are relevant in explaining the injustice at a micro and macro level. For example, why a child is trafficked/abused? What has he done to invite/”cause” the effect i.e. his abuse? If one were to put into context many lifetimes over which causes are generated to produce the rippling effect, it might make sense to a few. Even the Bible recognizes this principle – “as one sows, so shall one reap”. This principle applied at a macro state level may be understood when those corrupt/apathetic governments are imposed trade sanctions (effect) because they have failed/derelict in their duty (cause) to safeguard the rights of the people.
Only by completely grasping and absorbing the law of personal responsibility and accountability; which when applied practically, would involve mindful awareness from moment to moment with regards to negativities arising in ones own mind (but manifesting as sensations on one’s body as warning signals to help guard against impure thoughts leading to unjust action and speech); one would be less impulsive.
It may be that people at an individual level (whether it be the victim of human trafficking (or any actor in the “blood sucker cycle”) or governments derelict in their duties, all suffer the consequences (in the short/long term) of their “mindless” actions (of this or past lifetimes). To my mind the perpetrators need more compassion as they are already sowing seeds of untold misery for their future. But the victims have a special duty. Through proper awareness and understanding it is possible to be freed of misery. Techniques that work at the sensation level if applied correctly i.e. remaining aware yet equanimous, it is possible for that person to become a “non-returner” i.e. freed from the cycle of birth and re birth.
We are all victims of some kind of abuse and we are all perpetrators (through mindless behavior/thought patterns) of violence. Judging someone else or even feeling compassion does not light the lamp in a home filled with darkness. Each person has to work his own salvation. For me it is Vipassana in the tradition of Sayagi U Ba Khin and as taught in a ten day residential course by Shri S.N. Goenkaji.
The two things that struck me significantly were the following:
The social worker at the Depdc office who has been serving the children and the organization for approx 2 decades. Despite knowing the fact that in all probability child abuse is never going to diminish; she still carries on her service with an almost missionary zeal. It teaches me not to give up and stray the path even in the face of the most adverse odds.
The second incident that remained with me were the highest values being practiced by the Chom Mai Networks; being the values of good governance, equality, fair play, self less service and transparency. It brought to light that even the poor of the poorest (economically) are prosperous in moral values and if one were to sustain and strengthen these values then life would become more meaningful.