Daily Lessons from Life 23 December 2009

"Iraqi couple force girl, 13, into prostitution - Wed, Dec 23, 2009 AFP

DUBAI, Dec 23, 2009 (AFP) - A couple who bought a 13-year-old girl from her parents in Iraq and forced her into prostitution in the United Arab Emirates have been convicted of human trafficking, local newspapers reported Wednesday."

And

"Ex-HSBC Senior Executive jailed for taking a US$60k bribe in approving a US$10m commercial loan".

Two headlines where the offenders go to jail. In two different parts of Asia and in the world. Both cases are pretty age-old issues. One bought and made a 13-year-old girl into a prostitute - for money! And the other decided to make that extra money for himself despite being paid fairly handsomely as the SVP of Commercial Banking Department!!

Lessons for me are:

1. human trafficking MUST be stopped. No mercy must be shown to anyone who engage in this trade unless the 'victims' are volunteers. In that case, the country where such people existed has to take responsibility of finding out why would any human being want to be 'sold' into prostitution? Bad management of the country's finance or extreme poverty and survival?;

2. greed knows no boundary nor nationality. The senior banker is Taiwanese working in HSBC Hong Kong. The Iraqi couple bought the Iraqi girl and forced her into prostitution in UAE! People need to understand WHY they need to money from such activities. Is it to save life or just to indulge in another glass of wine or another piece of steak or another jewellery or material thing? It is sad that people do evil things just to get more material things!;

3. where self-restraints and realization is the best guard against people going astray. Strict laws and enforcement will provide that extra consideration for people who want to chance it. No mercy on the punishment. The sentences must remind others who were on the verge of committing similar acts to re-evaluate and go back to the fundamental - do I need that extra money? For what?

May the girl gets help in re-entry into normal life. May the banker find peace as he served his 20-mth jail term in a living condition that he probably never want to experience again in his lifetime.