Phil@Stop the Traffik

We had to search amongst the usual mass of intercom buttons to find the right one. It was an ordinary house in an ordinary street, yet it was also the first Thai massage parlour we had ever visited, despite months of research. We rang the bell and waited. At first nothing, then the door swung open to show a man. He wasn't tall, but made up for it in weight and muscle. He was covered in tattoos and his head was shaven. He looked very suspicious, probably because he wasn't used to two women and one man calling at this house, usually it was just men.
It is strange what we don't see, even in our own community, down our own street. It was a long time, even whilst working against human trafficking, that we started to notice the growth of Thai massage parlours across Belgium. Few people knew about them, and if you asked people about the Thai community here, they would look at you strangely, as if to say "Why would Thai people be here?". Yet they were here and we quickly found seventy-five massage parlours. In fact, after weeks of research, we suddenly came across a google map made by one of the clients which showed the location of the parlours, little knowing that we would use it to as part of our work.
Now, many people have Thai massage, and in many cases that's fine. It's an ancient and very relaxing form of massage, but in a lot of instances a Thai massage salon has become so closely linked to the sex industry that it is little more than a brothel. The adverts for these places left little to the imagination, and the comments in web forums showed that these were places of prostitution. As part of Stop the Traffik, we wanted to visit the women and find out if they are being exploited, or if they have been trafficked. When people come from abroad, have little contact with the outside world, do not speak the local language and are reliant on others for their visa and their everyday needs, and in addition to this are involved in the sex trade, then exploitation and trafficking are never far away.
We expained to the pimp who had answered the door that first time, that we wanted to give presents to the Thai women in his house, as it was Thai New Year. We had chosen this day to start work in the massage parlours, so we could give gifts and welcome them to the country. The man was more than a little confused! He was used to customers or perhaps the police, but friendly neighbours was outside of his expectations. He ushered us into the front room of his ordinary house, and then the Thai madam of the place went to fetch the other girls. Often in these places a Belgian man is in charge, who has a Thai woman for a wife or girlfriend who acts as the madam. When the three other girls came downstairs, they were nervous about what would happen to them, but when they they heard that we wanted to bless them on their New Year, smiles broke out on their faces. We wanted to pray for them too and they welcomed that, wafting the prayers like incense over their heads.
That was the start. We have continued to visit the massage parlours every month, with Miet at Oasis Belgium working very hard to produce a newsletter for the women in Thai, telling them what is going on in the community around them, what services are available for them. We want to help them be less isolated and welcome them into the community. This reduce the chances that they will have to endure exploitation. The newsletter also gives us the chance to visit and to get to know them. Already we have reported to the police one massage parlour for probably trafficking. We have also heard stories of years of violence and abuse and are starting to help the women. We have also been asked for help to get out of the sex trade. It must be said that we have also spoken to women who have come here to earn money and although they find it tough in the massage parlours, are looking forward to going back to their families having earned enough to help their children in education. The reality is complex, but we want to end the abuse and give every Thai woman the safety, hope and choice she deserves.
I noticed on the list of massage parlours the name of the street next to where I live. I never knew it was there, hidden away, just like all the other houses, apart from the small Thai good luck stickers on the door and the men visiting at all times of the day and night.