Money

Perhaps one of the most crucial ways we can target traffickers is to focus on the lifeblood of trafficking -- money. Traffickers recruit, transport, threaten and coerce other people into sex work or labor to profit off of them.

Our attorney Pik helps survivors of trafficking and exploitation sue their offenders in civil court and seek justice in the form of victim compensation — money. This is a relatively new area of case law in Thailand, and it is difficult to put a price tag on the suffering inflicted by being trafficked for sex or labor. But advocating for reparations is a crucial part of the justice process for survivors, both economically and psychologically. One of LIFT’s clients who is a survivor of trafficking said:

“When I had to tell my story of my abuse to court, I was so proud of myself that I could claim justice for myself. I finished something that was really important.”

Pik walked her through the legal process and the court awarded her $7600 USD in compensation from her trafficker. She used the money to buy land for her family, which brought her a lot of pride and sense of accomplishment. A judgment by a court that orders a trafficker to pay a victim is a victory in terms of taking money from a trafficker’s profits, but it is a much more important part of victims feeling like they have been heard. We go after the money because money matters to traffickers, but we also go after money because it is important to the victims.

You can help us take money away from traffickers.