Jesuits in Southeast Asia will be taking a more active role in the fight against human trafficking, which Pope Francis recently called “a despicable activity, a disgrace for our societies, which describe themselves as civilized”.
There was strong Jesuit participation in a recent meeting of major superiors focussed on the issue. Among the participants at the XV Southeast Asia Major Superiors Congress held in Singapore from April 15 to 19 were Jesuits from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Micronesia. During the meeting, the Indonesian Province and Malaysia-Singapore Region in particular committed to concrete actions in the broad plans developed to combat human trafficking in the various local contexts.
Human trafficking is the fastest-growing crime in the world. An estimated 27 million men, women, children have been made into slaves across the world, and every year, an estimated 800,000 people are forced or sold into slavery.
In its second global estimate of forced labour released in June 2012, the International Labour Organization said there are 20.9 million victims of modern-day slavery at any given time, with Asia Pacific accounting for the largest number at about 11.7 million.
Indonesian Provincial Fr Riyo Mursanto SJ said that the Jesuits will continue to work with and through KOPTARI, the Conference of Religious Major Superiors in Indonesia, on raising awareness of human trafficking in the country and supporting the work of the women religious providing direct care to victims.
Fr Riyo, who is also chairman of KOPTARI, said that in its meeting with the Bishops Conference in August, KOPTARI will strongly emphasise the importance of raising awareness of human trafficking among the diocesan priests and male religious.
KOPTARI will also support the national networking meeting in July of the Counter Women Trafficking Commission of the IBSI (Indonesia Conference of Women Religious), and efforts by women religious to provide shelters for victims.
Fr Riyo said that the Indonesian Province would also look at opportunities to provide Jesuits in formation with “direct experiences around the complexity of the problem”.
“Families look for happiness. But human trafficking breaks apart close members of the families and brings misery,” said Fr Riyo.
In Malaysia and Singapore, the Society will be collaborating with other religious in the Conference of Religious Major Superiors (CRMS) Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei on efforts in Malaysia and Singapore. These will build on the CRMS’ first modest anti-human trafficking project in 2011 to raise awareness of human trafficking.
Fr Colin Tan SJ, Regional Superior of the Jesuit region of Malaysia-Singapore, who served as chairman for this year’s SEAMS Congress, has agreed to coordinate the fundraising efforts for CRMS initiatives in awareness raising and advocacy and its plans to raise awareness among lawyers, doctors, and business groups. He will also be assisting in efforts to conscientise bishops and priests and encourage them to raise awareness of the issue from the pulpit.
“Human trafficking is a serious issue that concerns the Church in in its social mission and duty to reach out to the weak, the poor, the marginalised, the vulnerable and the exploited,” said Fr Colin. “Following what Pope Francis has said, the ‘church must be in the streets with the poor, to find God among them and to learn from them’.”
The Southeast Asia Major Superiors Congress is held once every three years to encourage and enable networking and collaboration among the Religious in Southeast Asia. The XV SEAMS Congress, which was focussed on human trafficking, drew 33 participants from nine Asian countries, and resulted in broad action plans to combat human trafficking in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Micronesia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines.
In a statement issued on April 22, the SEAMS Congress said, “Through the Congress, participants emerged with a strong conviction that we cannot continue to address human trafficking in our present piecemeal way. There is an urgent need for greater networking and collaboration.”
The anti-human trafficking project implemented by the Conference of Religious Major Superiors Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei in 2011 consisted of a set of five brochures on human trafficking, available in English, Chinese and Malay. For more information on the project and to download the brochures, go to http://franciscans.sg/crms/