Focus the Nation

This week, W&M IJM is focusing on global climate change, its implications and the right response. Through this Tuesday's (January 29) IJM meeting, we hope to gain insight into the problem and discuss as a group what we can do to help--both as individuals and as members of a larger organization. Then on Wednesday, the Student Environmental Action Coalition is hosting a broadcast of "The 2% Solution," which will address similar issues and provide enough deeper information.

As Christians, we are called to be stewards of the environment. This week, we will delve into what that means and how we can follow that call in an effective, proactive way.

Have you ever wondered what an IJM investigator does in a day? Read on.

It’s early on a Saturday morning in March 2003, and IJM investigator Jasper Ayelazuno is already out of bed after a brief night’s sleep. Though the day is just beginning, Jasper is busy. Along with the rest of his team, he reviews countless details of the day’s mission: entering the brothels of Svay Pak to rescue children held in sexual slavery. For years, IJM has meticulously
documented evidence against human traffickers in this Cambodian village notorious for the open sale of sex with children. The practice is illegal in Cambodia, but nobody has stepped in to defend the innocent victims. Today is the day the oppressed will have a voice, as local authorities and IJM plan for the rescue of young girls and the arrest of their perpetrators. The team has painstakingly documented the locations of the children who need rescue; they review the facts, preparing for the mission. The mission is as complex as it is urgent: The number of children held in forced prostitution in Svay Pak is astounding.

Jasper and the IJM team walk through the logistics of the day. Each member of the team is commissioned to his or her respective position: Jasper remains at headquarters to direct the staff and assist police, while five investigators go to the brothels to gather perpetrators and victims, whom they will bring to a secure location where arrests and rescue will occur.

A complication in the operation arises. The five investigators discover that they will not be able to bring the perpetrators and victims to the offsite location as previously planned. The plan must be amended; the team makes immediate decisions. Jasper answers the other investigators’ urgent call and helps to lead the police to the brothels where the girls remain trapped. The investigators and the police travel door-to-door, bravely arresting human traffickers and removing their victims from danger.

As a result of the team’s actions, 37 girls are rescued and 13 traffickers are arrested.
Jasper and other members of the team escort the girls and the brothel owners to the police station. Jasper monitors the situation, ensuring that both victims and perpetrators are treated fairly. Though they will soon be transferred to a safe and secure aftercare facility, the victims’ immediate testimony in the aftermath of their traffickers’ arrest is extremely valuable to police as they document evidence. Jasper helps the team ensure that the traumatized victims are treated with sensitivity and compassion. Through the entire process, Jasper works to build on IJM’s existing rapport with Cambodian police, equipping law enforcement officials to best meet the needs of these victims.

Though several years have passed, Jasper retains the shock he felt on that day in 2003 when he saw just how young the girls in Svay Pak were and the disgusting conditions in which they lived. Jasper has a daughter himself – thinking of her makes it particularly hard to comprehend the violence committed against the girls of Svay Pak. Though his work in Cambodia was difficult, there was, as Jasper puts it, “a job to be done.” He still thinks often of the rescued girls and thanks God for the opportunity to have been part of the mission.

It is the daily work of investigators like Jasper Ayelazuno that brings IJM one day closer to securing justice for the victims of oppression and slavery. Because of the work accomplished on Jasper’s mission and other IJM initiatives in cooperation with Cambodian police, there has been a huge reduction in child sexual exploitation in Svay Pak.

Alternative Gift Fair

International Justice Mission will host the third annual Alternative Gift Fair, a gathering that will feature numerous charitable campus groups and outside vendors selling unique gifts to support their individual causes and projects. Stop by UC Tidewater A any time between 4 and 8 p.m. to see what they've got. This is your chance to shop for family and friends while knowing that the money you spend will be used where it is needed most.

Organizations represented include: Maasai American Student Association, Students for Fair Trade, Students Helping Honduras, Global Village Project, W&M Habitat, Tidewater Labor Support Committee, Project Mexico, Nothing but Nets and Developing Tomorrow: Destination China, with a few more campus groups and outside vendors expected.

Williamsburg Uninhabitable (for many)

The week before Thanksgiving break, members of IJM conducted an affordable housing calling campaign targeting the members of the Williamsburg City Council. With the support of the Williamsburg chapter of the Virginia Organizing Project, we focused on the city's purchase of and plans for the property formerly occupied by the Tioga Motel on Richmond Road. While the city did address the immediate needs of those living on the property in the months following its closing of the motel, we hope that the members of the local government will work to include affordable housing in their plans for the recently purchased property.

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For more information on affordable housing in Williamsburg/James City County, check out this flyer published last year by Williamsburg VOP.

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The William and Mary campus chapter of International Justice Mission will meet with the mayor of Williamsburg this Thursday. Please keep this meeting in your prayers, as all involved are interested in promoting the best interests of those living and working in the city and beyond. The conversation will continue in the future, and we hope to see real change in the realm of affordable housing here in Virginia.

LOCAL, INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION BUILDS PERPETRATOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

An IJM investigation in conjunction with local police has prompted the arrest of an American for his abuse of a minor in the Philippines. The 43-year-old man, a convicted sex offender in the U.S., is accused of sexually abusing a Filipina adolescent over a three-year period, beginning when the victim was 14.

IJM investigative staff in the Philippines received a tip that an American expatriate had habitually sexually abused a young teen for over three years and had gone so far as to illegally “marry” the victim when she was 15 in an attempt to legitimate his abuse. After preparing an initial investigation report, IJM worked closely with Philippine and U.S. authorities to locate the perpetrator under the auspices of the PROTECT Act, the U.S. law that makes sexual offenses committed against minors abroad by American citizens punishable in U.S. courts. Presented with documentation of the suspect’s sexual abuse of a minor, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration issued an order for his arrest in June.

However, the suspect was tipped off that police were looking for him and subsequently fled to an island several hours away. Despite his attempts at evasion, IJM investigators were able to track him down and resume surveillance. With confirmation that he was still at large, the Bureau of Immigration worked in collaboration with local police to arrest him.

After his arrest, the suspect and investigators traveled nearly five hours to return to the immigration office police station, where he was booked into immigration custody pending deportation.

In September, the suspect was deported to the U.S., where he was arrested upon arrival and charged under the PROTECT Act.

“These cases are critically important to demonstrate to pedophiles that there are no ‘safe harbors’ left in the world for the sexual exploitation of children,” explains IJM Southeast Asia Director Kaign Christy.

The victim has been placed in a safe aftercare home, where she is doing well. She is taking tutorial classes to prepare for her upcoming educational exams and will enroll in computer training courses.

CASEWORK BRIEFING: MILESTONE SENTENCE IMPOSED ON SLAVE OWNER IN INDIA

In a landmark conviction in India last month, a man guilty of holding six people in slavery was sentenced to one year in prison and assessed a fine of 900 rupees. This sentence culminates a legal process that began four years ago, when an IJM investigation resulted in police intervention on behalf of six victims held as slaves in the perpetrator’s business, a snack stand.

In India, perpetrator accountability for slavery remains extremely rare, despite stiff penalties for the crime mandated by law. Slave owners are rarely tried, and when they are brought to trial, they receive token sentences of a few hours for this human rights abuse. This one-year sentence for slavery is a major victory as the tide of opposition to slavery grows in India.

The victims had been enslaved since childhood and suffered physical and verbal abuse, working in conditions so severe that one laborer reportedly died as a result. Since their release from slavery, the former slaves have received rehabilitation assistance from the government and have succeeded in supporting their families and pursuing stable livelihoods. They remain in contact with IJM’s aftercare staff, who report that the former slaves are overjoyed that justice has been served in their case and that their perpetrator has been held accountable for his actions.

Seek Justice @ W&M

The night's almost here. In less than 48 hours, the Seek Justice event will finally reach the campus of William and Mary. This Saturday, October 6, at 7:00 p.m. in Little Theatre (Campus Center basement), Children of the Light Dance Ministries (D.C.) and Feat of Grace (W&M) will give a presentation of dances highlighting the work of our parent organization. Our campus chapter of International Justice Mission will participate through prayer, support and a message during the event.

If you're able to come out, please do. Spread the word. This promises to be a serious opportunity to speak and act on God's heart for the oppressed--and a great chance to worship in a new way.

Check out the Facebook event "Seek Justice" or email njbela@wm.edu if you have any questions.