January is Human Trafficking awareness month. It’s a heinous crime that I blindly encountered frequently during my time in the US Navy. Often, I look back on those days and wish I was more cognizant of the problem. I like to think I would have done something if I only knew better. Simple ignorance is one of the reasons why this evil still exists, and I believe we can do better. So, in recognition of this important month, I am writing this post to help raise awareness and offer advice on how to report human trafficking if you encounter it abroad.
I joined the Navy right after high school. At 18 years old, I knew nothing about the world, and I experienced very little of it outside the Pittsburgh suburb I happily left to serve my country. News anchors rarely discussed human trafficking, and the schools certainly didn’t teach anything about it.
My simple upbringing, unfortunately, didn’t shelter me from it. The military of the 1990s was vastly different than today’s. All the stories about those wild nights in East Asia are mostly true. In Okinawa, $20 bought a lonely service member a quickie with an old prostitute working Whisper Alley. Places like Thailand and the Philippines were considered adult theme parks. Young sailors from across the 7th Fleet spent many nights drinking round after round of beer served by “hostesses.” After hours of booze soaked fun, they paid the hostess’ bar fine and spent the night with her.
The Stage – Okinawa, Japan
Of all the girlie bars in Asia, Okinawa’s Naha Music aka “The Stage” took matters the furthest. Billed as an audience participation live sex show, the venue stood as the most notorious sex club among the US military personnel serving in Okinawa. For a membership fee of about $30 plus a $20 cover, a patron watched women strip on stage. If he desired to have intercourse with her, then he approached the stage and had his way with her in front of the audience. If more than one man pined for the same woman, then a roll of the dice determined the victor (aka rapist).
I will spare the sordid details of what I saw (I did not indulge). Keep in mind, back in 1992, I had no idea that this was hardly a show. At 19 years old, I wouldn’t have imagined the women I saw on the stage were lured away from their homes in Colombia, trafficked to Japan, and forced to work in a seedy club where they were raped several times a night. Still today, I find it hard to believe I had no idea they weren’t performers. Without question, these women were sex slaves. How could I have been so horribly ignorant?
Time to Repent
I am not proud of this experience. In fact, I’m extremely ashamed that I witnessed two of the most horrific crimes being committed right in front of me at the same time and had no idea at the time. Today, more than 30 years later, it’s still difficult for me to conceive that I was so blindly ignorant to what I saw. I wish I knew better. Slavery and rape are not entertainment, and the young women on the stage deserved a better life.
Human trafficking is not easy to recognize. The victims are often silenced by fear of physical harm to themselves or their families. They survive on false hope built on empty promises of returning home with large sums of money. Meanwhile their passports are held for ransom, and they are forced to work long hours with little to no time off to pay extortionate sums for rent, visas, and airfare. You may find them working in places decent people don’t frequent – hostess bars, strip clubs, brothels, and the streets. One may also find them working more respectable jobs on construction sites, in call centers, restaurants, nail salons, and agricultural fields. They often hide in plain sight.
How to Report Human Trafficking
Nevertheless, if you find yourself in a situation overseas where you suspect human trafficking, then you should report it immediately. I recommend contacting your nearest consulate or embassy and let your country’s department of state handle it. Human traffickers are dangerous, and they go through great lengths to protect themselves and their victims. Depending upon the location, they often bribe law enforcement to look the other way. Therefore, it can be dangerous to report it to the local authorities.
You may also report human trafficking domestically to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Counselors are available to answer questions and offer assistance 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. You may also text them at 233733.
The End of The Stage
I am happy to report that the Okinawa police raided The Stage in 2004. The club’s manager and owner were arrested. Sadly, three Colombian women were also arrested and charged with being in the country illegally and indecent conduct. One was 17 years old.
