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Tag: Thailand

THE LETTER FROM CEDAR | Jul 2022

Dear supporters,  The statistic shows that more than 6 million people in Hong Kong have a smartphone. With the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst, people of all ages are accustomed to addressing daily needs using online tools. With advanced technology, many activities have switched out of a physical form: classes, bill payment, meetings, trading, making reservations and more. Technology has indeed made life a lot easier! However, as the old saying goes, ‘the water that bears the boat is the same that swallows it’, the advancement of technology has exposed the world to more crimes – during the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in cybercrimes. Amongst all the criminal activities, human trafficking is known for low

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When Human Lives are Sold Online

Written by: Ness Ma (Communications Officer) ‘I used to live with my grandparents, my father and my three younger sisters.’ At an interview with CEDAR, Banya (pseudonym) sat on a wooden chair. With a microphone in his hand, he told us about his family members with shyness and purity in his eyes. He did not look any different to other children of his age. However, this ordinary child recounted his extraordinary experience a few moments later. ‘A year after I came to Chiang Mai, I was betrayed by a friend and fell into the hands of human traffickers. I was locked in a room, forced to prostitute, and beaten.’ Every year, children in different corners of the world

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‘Share’ 245 – When Human Lives are Sold Online

Editor’s Note: Human trafficking is a deep-rooted crime around the world. It involves pecuniary advantage and exploitation of other people’s lives. It is not easy to rescue the victims of human trafficking, and the road to recovery for the survivors is even more difficult. In this issue of SHARE, we will explain the anti-human trafficking efforts of CEDAR’s partners in different parts of the world. The section ‘Focus’ introduces CEDAR’s new anti-trafficking partner in Thailand. The ‘Learn a Little More’ section talks about the methods used by our partners in India in their fight against human trafficking. In ‘Join Hands Join Hearts’, several child survivors of human trafficking expressed their aspirations using pictures and words. The ‘Back to

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Advocacy for Thailand Karen Minority Rights (Year 1 of Year 3)

Project Name Advocacy for Thailand Karen Minority Rights (Year 1 of Year 3) Project Location Thailand Project Natures Church and Community Mobilisation Creation Care Project Objectives Protect the rights of local people and communities by developing and strengthening the Karen Network for Human Rights (KNHR). Beneficiaries 36 leaders from the Thailand Karen Baptist Convention (TKBC) 900 KNHR members 11,123 community leaders No. of Beneficiaries 12,059 Key Activities Environmental awareness training: field visits and training related to environmental protection. Forums: organise small group discussions on Karen community rights. Leadership training on building peace and the role of churches. Collecting data on land management and usage. Project Period July 2023 to Jun 2026 Expenses Approx. HK$622,520 Donate Now PARTNER INFORMATION

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Economic, Health Care and Community Development Project for Ethnic Groups in Chiang Mai Province (in Thailand) and Bokaew Province (in Laos)

Project Name Economic, Health Care and Community Development Project for Ethnic Groups in Chiang Mai Province (in Thailand) and Bokaew Province (in Laos) Project Location Thailand Project Natures Urban and Rural Development Project Objectives Improve food security for minority groups in border regions. Enhance the capabilities of minority groups in border regions to establish sustainable livelihood development. Improve environmental management for minority groups in border regions. Beneficiaries Four Lahu communities in the Laos-Myanmar border region Ten minority communities in the Mae Wang River watershed in Northern Thailand, and others. No. of Beneficiaries Approx. 12,000 Key Activities In terms of livelihood development and food security promote the use of small plots of land around houses to develop gardens use

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Thai-Myanmar Border Development (next phase)

Project Name Thai-Myanmar Border Development (next phase) Project Location Thailand Project Natures Urban and Rural Development Church and Community Mobilisation Project Objectives Facilitate the learning process of the Lahu community in anti-human trafficking, anti-drug abuse, health and hygiene, and livelihood development. Promote the physical and mental health of the Lahu community and build a healthy living environment for them (providing water and waste management, reducing chemical use, improving food security, protecting the natural environment, and eliminating drug addiction and domestic violence). Help the Lahu people understand their situation, protect themselves from becoming victims of human trafficking and enable the younger generation to enjoy their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Promote Lahu’s strong

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Cyber Trafficking Victim Assistance in Thailand Project Year 2

Project Name Cyber Trafficking Victim Assistance in Thailand Project Year 2 Project Location Thailand Project Natures Anti-human Trafficking Project Objectives Rescue victims of cyber trafficking. Raise awareness of trafficking among residents (target: children, students, community leaders and other residents). Support victims of trafficking and provide education to them. Beneficiaries Human Trafficking Victims No. of Beneficiaries 200 Key Activities Trace human trafficking cases on an online platform. Assist in the investigation of trafficking cases and provide assistance to victims. Provide informal education for victims at the boys’ shelter. Learn the Bible for boys at the shelter. Organise talks on combating human trafficking. Project Period May 2023 to Apr 2024 Expenses Approx. HK$252,160 Donate Now Impact Story Banya (pseudonym), a

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Witness the Struggles in Mountain Areas

Written by Ness Ma (Communications Officer) Many tribes live at the country’s border in Northern Thailand, mostly farmers. Because of poverty, many of them have never received a good education or learned any effective farming method. They live in mountain basins and receive no services or support from the government. In addition to the worsening extreme weather events because of climate change, river floods in rainy seasons cause soil erosion, and droughts lead to a lack of water sources. Both circumstances affect the harvest. To continue farming, farmers have to purchase more chemical fertilisers, increasing their financial burden and damaging the lands. CEDAR Fund has been supporting Upland Holistic Development Foundation (previously Upland Holistic Development Project) since 2013

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My Plastic Reduction Action – after the CEDAR’s Exposure Trip 2018

Banner Image: Sarah Hong (far right) Written by: Sarah Hong (Participant of CEDAR’s Exposure Trip 2018) The world God first-created was in a stable and balanced peaceful condition, which illustrated Shalom. He gave us the responsibility to manage the land. Yet, we failed our task, destroyed the land and its eco-system and caused a lot of problems, such as climate change. I joined the CEDAR’s exposure trip to Thai-Burmese border and rural northern Thailand in December last year. During the trip, my companions and I visited UHDP [1], CEDAR’s partner. UHDP understood God’s heart for reconciling relationships between human and other aspects, including the nature. Therefore, they adopted an agricultural principle that can sustain development, protect the nature and reconcile

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‘Hill Tribes’ Blood is in My Veins.’ – An Advocate Walking Alongside Marginalised Hill Tribes

Written by: Lai Ka Chun In mid-2018, a junior football team and their assistant coach were rescued after 18 days in Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Their 25-year-old coach’s care in the cave was indispensable. This incident made the coach a hero in Thais’ hearts. However, this coach was originally stateless, as well as the other 3 boys, who had no Thai citizenships. According to UNHCR, there are about 480,000 stateless people in Thailand, and most of them were living in remote mountainous area near the border. As they belonged to no country, they could not enjoy the rights of education, healthcare, employment, and social security as other citizens. Even though they lived

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