Haitian underage girls are now paying for taking help from the UN. They have been sexually exploited by Sri Lankan UN peace-keepers for less than $1. Haitian feminists have now woken up to the problem and are demanding inquires by the UN. Olga Benoit of Haitian Women’s Solidarity recalls another case involving two Pakistani soldiers about two years ago. These men in uniform had raped a mentally challenged woman whom they were supposed to protect.
Poor girls in this horribly impoverished nation are just cattle for both Haitian men and their foreign protectors. Excessively patriarchal Haiti chooses to look the other way when girls are exploited. After all, a dollar is better than no money at all.
Underlying this human tragedy is not only the perversion of some depraved men but also the machinations of richer nations who would rather wink than help out. The US and UK who regularly publicize their good intentions for all the poorer nations of this wretched earth, never mention Haiti.
Haitians are poor today and forced to prostitution because their white neighbors have only used Haitians as slaves in the colonial days. Haiti has no value for anyone for it is not oil-rich or harbors fundamentalists of any sorts.
Somalian warlords force girls into sexual slavery. Burmese military leaders have taken to physically abusing children. The LTTE in Sri Lanka has a children’s wing whose runaway members have reported routine sexual abuse.
A pattern emerges. Men away from home for long and engaged in war are exhibiting perverted sexuality. Why? The answer lies in the screening process for filling up military posts. Apart from physical prowess men who are inducted into the military ranks should be screened for psychological competence. One can wish away the wickedness of a warlord as inevitable and natural. But how can we sleep in the night if our children are being exploited by vicious men whose very jobs are being paid for by the global communities’ taxes.
Though President Bush does not think of a Haitian girl worthy of American blessings, I think the time has come for the global community to wake up and confront the reality of increasing child-abuse by various militias. The UN peace keepers are only the organized militia of a desperately hypocritical world trying to pose as savior.
Interestingly The Los Angeles Times repeats the $1 price-factor twice. Would a better price excuse the horrendous nature of the abuse? Though the paper condemns the racket yet we are forced to reckon the manner in which immorality is made socially acceptable in the West by monetary considerations. Haiti is a victim of colonialism and economics.
Mahishini Colonne, a spokeswoman for the Sri Lankan mission at the United Nations in New York, has said that her government is considering reparations to the victims. She knows nothing more. Is this callousness or high diplomacy? In either case, is anyone thinking about the victims?
Via: LA Times
Comments
Not Haitian girls are paying only...
Yes, that is why I commented. I did not read the entire blog, just the snippet, but I wanted to comment because I saw a POWERFUL documentary on PBS called Lumo. Ever since then, I’ve learned more about that. The UN does this in Africa (and I assume everywhere else too).
Though President Bush does not think of a Haitian girl worthy of American blessings, I think the time has come for the global community to wake up and confront the reality of increasing child-abuse by various militias. The UN peace keepers are only the organized militia of a desperately hypocritical world trying to pose as savior.
what the heck does Bush have to do with this? This post is 2 years old.
they should all be arrested
they should all be arrested