Bitner was working at HSMA on Keeaumoku Street in Customer Service when U.S. Marshals arrested him on August 25th 2009.
Read the U.S. Marshal's Press Release (GREAT JOB U.S. MARSHALS!)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Child Molester Hiding Out in Hawaii Finally Arrested!
After 16 years on the run, U.S. Marshals arrested child molester Peter Bitner, a 64 yr old former San Diego resident. He is charged with multiple counts for sexually assaulting children left in his care as a babysitter. The abuse happened repeatedly over a period of time.
Bitner was working at HSMA on Keeaumoku Street in Customer Service when U.S. Marshals arrested him on August 25th 2009.
Read the U.S. Marshal's Press Release (GREAT JOB U.S. MARSHALS!)
Bitner was working at HSMA on Keeaumoku Street in Customer Service when U.S. Marshals arrested him on August 25th 2009.
Read the U.S. Marshal's Press Release (GREAT JOB U.S. MARSHALS!)
EMANCIPATED Recap
This past Saturday night, the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery teamed up with the awesome new downtown cafe/bar, The Manifest to gather our abolitionist friends and celebrate hope in the fight against human trafficking!
We had tons going on:
-music jamming by Koa Road
-information about human trafficking on display
-a petition asking for a tougher state law against human trafficking a ready to sign
- jewelry/shirts/bags on sale from organizations that support individuals who have come out of the slave trade (SHE Thailand, Not For Sale, Bangkok NightLight, Starfish Project, Free the Slaves)
-three awesome speakers
-delicious drink specials cooked up by Brandon and Justin
More pics on the way! Thanks to all who came out to support the cause! 
Shirts and jewelry on sale!
Koa Road!
Special thanks to: The Manifest Ohana (Brandon, Justin, Nicole), Daeja Fallas and crew for the sweet professional photos (photos to come soon!), Koa Road for the amazing music, Imago Dei Christian Church for the equipment, GirlFest Hawaii volunteers, and the tons of friends and family who lent a hand. Slavery still exists, and we can do something about it.
Shirts and jewelry on sale!Koa Road!Be on the lookout for more events in the future.
Friday, August 28, 2009
3 Men in Hawaii (Aloun Farm) Federally Indicted for Conspiracy to Traffick 44 Thai Nationals for Slave Labor
When one thinks of local organic farmers, one usually thinks of an agricultural business that people should support. Unfortunately, Alec Sou, Mike Sou of Hawaii's Aloun Farms (http://www.alounfarms.com) and Thai labor "recruiter" William Khoo were federally indicted for conspiring to traffick 44 human beings to exploit them for agricultural labor on August 27th 2009.
Photo from www.alounfarms.com of workers on their farm:
Workers were allegedly housed in "containers" with no plumbing or ventilation, tricked into working for the farm under the impression that they would be paid and treated well, and forced to pay off a "debt" based on a scam forcing them to work for the farm under threat of serious financial harm to the workers and their families in Thailand.
Read the Department of Justice Press Release
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/August/09-crt-883.html
Slave labor in Hawaii, the land of aloha, has NO place- no matter how bad the economy gets.
All people are created equal. As President Lincoln once said, "The slave breeders and slave traders are a small, odious, and detested class among you; and yet in politics they dictate the course of all of you."
ABOLISH SLAVERY IN HAWAII AND AROUND THE WORLD!
Photo from www.alounfarms.com of workers on their farm:
Read the Department of Justice Press Release
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/August/09-crt-883.html
Slave labor in Hawaii, the land of aloha, has NO place- no matter how bad the economy gets.
All people are created equal. As President Lincoln once said, "The slave breeders and slave traders are a small, odious, and detested class among you; and yet in politics they dictate the course of all of you."
ABOLISH SLAVERY IN HAWAII AND AROUND THE WORLD!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A Day in the Life of a New Abolitionist
You would think that people would join the fight against Human Trafficking, today’s modern-slavery, and support our efforts to encourage lawmakers to pass a state law against Human Trafficking. But, unfortunately some people are against us. Whether they are people on the neighborhood board level, in the prosecutor’s office, attorney generals office or in the legislature, they are THERE.
I’ve been fighting against Human Trafficking in Hawaii for almost 10 years now and this year I have seen more victims than ever before. I have also met more morally corrupt people than ever before. Something must change. These people cannot be allowed to hold office or any other position of power.
Hawaii is 1 of 8 states left in the entire nation that hasn’t passed a state Human Trafficking law, making the crime a felony offence while protecting Human Trafficking victims. Currently, according to the Center for Women’s Policy funded by the Department of Justice, our home state gets an “F’ for criminalization of Human Traffickers and Patrons and another “F” for Victims’ Protection and Assistance.
Is it any wonder that the Director of Victim Witness Kokua at the Office of the City Prosecutor, the advocates for victims within the system, is against passing a state law? Go figure. By the way, this guy doesn’t even have a law degree. Shameful.
I actually got a call this morning from a Deputy Prosecutor who literally barked at me on the phone saying how she was against the current proposed bill but admitted that she had “no idea what is going on with this issue and this bill.” Verbatim. How can you be opposed to a bill when you admit that you don’t know anything about the bill or the Human Trafficking problem in Hawaii? And, why bark at someone who is trying to dialog with your office for a legitimate reason for constructive and peaceful purposes? Go figure again.
In the meantime, while these people do their best to bark and filibuster, one more child is trafficked for sex. Her body paid for by a child molestor. One more young woman is tricked by a “boyfriend” that he loves her when he forces her into a hotel room to be raped by other men for money. One more mother sits at home waiting for the Center for Missing and Exploited Children to call her saying that her little girl was found safe and is coming home.
In 2008, according to the Honolulu Police Department, there were 15 counted High Risk Victims for Human Trafficking PER MONTH just in the city of Honolulu. That’s 1 child every other day at high risk for Human Trafficking in Honolulu. Can you imagine what that statistic would be for the entire state?
Where are your priorities? Recognize the true problems and criminals of these atrocities and FIGHT BACK! Change can happen. All you have to do is the right thing.
I’ve been fighting against Human Trafficking in Hawaii for almost 10 years now and this year I have seen more victims than ever before. I have also met more morally corrupt people than ever before. Something must change. These people cannot be allowed to hold office or any other position of power.
Hawaii is 1 of 8 states left in the entire nation that hasn’t passed a state Human Trafficking law, making the crime a felony offence while protecting Human Trafficking victims. Currently, according to the Center for Women’s Policy funded by the Department of Justice, our home state gets an “F’ for criminalization of Human Traffickers and Patrons and another “F” for Victims’ Protection and Assistance.
Is it any wonder that the Director of Victim Witness Kokua at the Office of the City Prosecutor, the advocates for victims within the system, is against passing a state law? Go figure. By the way, this guy doesn’t even have a law degree. Shameful.
I actually got a call this morning from a Deputy Prosecutor who literally barked at me on the phone saying how she was against the current proposed bill but admitted that she had “no idea what is going on with this issue and this bill.” Verbatim. How can you be opposed to a bill when you admit that you don’t know anything about the bill or the Human Trafficking problem in Hawaii? And, why bark at someone who is trying to dialog with your office for a legitimate reason for constructive and peaceful purposes? Go figure again.
In the meantime, while these people do their best to bark and filibuster, one more child is trafficked for sex. Her body paid for by a child molestor. One more young woman is tricked by a “boyfriend” that he loves her when he forces her into a hotel room to be raped by other men for money. One more mother sits at home waiting for the Center for Missing and Exploited Children to call her saying that her little girl was found safe and is coming home.
In 2008, according to the Honolulu Police Department, there were 15 counted High Risk Victims for Human Trafficking PER MONTH just in the city of Honolulu. That’s 1 child every other day at high risk for Human Trafficking in Honolulu. Can you imagine what that statistic would be for the entire state?
Where are your priorities? Recognize the true problems and criminals of these atrocities and FIGHT BACK! Change can happen. All you have to do is the right thing.
Calling all abolitionists! YOU ARE INVITED to EMANCIPATED!
PASS, Manifest, and YOU are ending human trafficking in Hawaii! SPREAD THE WORD and PASS this on!
CLICK HERE to view map to the venue
Break free and hit up your new favorite downtown venue, The Manifest, in its awesome opening weekend to
support the fight against human trafficking in Hawaii and promote the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery (PASS)*.
www.traffickjamming.org
Live music, film, full bar, interactive information, opportunities to get involved, and jewelry for sale from organizations supporting inter/national survivors.
Let your voice be heard as we give voice to the issue of human trafficking. All invited! ages +21.
CLICK HERE to visit the Event Page on FB
CLICK HERE to join our Cause Page on FB
CLICK HERE to join our Group Page on FB
| Price: | No cover. Donations accepted. |
| Date: | Saturday, August 29, 2009 |
| Time: | 8:00pm - 10:00pm |
| Location: | The Manifest (OPENING WEEKEND!) |
| Address: | 32 North Hotel Street |
| City/Town: | Honolulu, HI |
Break free and hit up your new favorite downtown venue, The Manifest, in its awesome opening weekend to
support the fight against human trafficking in Hawaii and promote the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery (PASS)*.
www.traffickjamming.org
Live music, film, full bar, interactive information, opportunities to get involved, and jewelry for sale from organizations supporting inter/national survivors.
Let your voice be heard as we give voice to the issue of human trafficking. All invited! ages +21.
CLICK HERE to visit the Event Page on FB
CLICK HERE to join our Cause Page on FB
CLICK HERE to join our Group Page on FB
Why Hawaii's current laws are not adequate in addressing the crime of Human Trafficking
Some of the problems of using current statutes include:
1) prostitution statutes place both victim and patron in the same criminal category making it virtually impossible for HPD to recognize prostitutes as victims,
2) promoting prostitution statutes are NOT exempt from deferred acceptance laws, which means that if a trafficker pleads guilty, in the state of Hawaii, he can legally say that he has never been convicted of that crime. Furthermore, his sentence would be minimal e.g. 30 months in jail and 3-5years supervised release.
3) most times, only promoting prostitution in the 3rd degree is applied to pimps/traffickers (misdemeanor), and
4) these laws are not preventative so authorities need to "wait" until something severe like sex assault, murder, extortion, or kidnapping occur to pin the trafficker with anything worthwhile, of course to the detriment of the victim trafficked.
Hawaii is one of thetwelve eight remaining states in America that has not passed a Human Trafficking State Law or laws effectively addressing Human Trafficking while protecting the victims. Simply relying on current state laws to address human trafficking is highly problematic.
We need a state Human Trafficking Law now! Feel the same? Sign our petition at www.traffickjamming.org/
1) prostitution statutes place both victim and patron in the same criminal category making it virtually impossible for HPD to recognize prostitutes as victims,
2) promoting prostitution statutes are NOT exempt from deferred acceptance laws, which means that if a trafficker pleads guilty, in the state of Hawaii, he can legally say that he has never been convicted of that crime. Furthermore, his sentence would be minimal e.g. 30 months in jail and 3-5years supervised release.
3) most times, only promoting prostitution in the 3rd degree is applied to pimps/traffickers (misdemeanor), and
4) these laws are not preventative so authorities need to "wait" until something severe like sex assault, murder, extortion, or kidnapping occur to pin the trafficker with anything worthwhile, of course to the detriment of the victim trafficked.
Hawaii is one of the
We need a state Human Trafficking Law now! Feel the same? Sign our petition at www.traffickjamming.org/
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