Rock Concert in Bangkok Against Human Trafficking

The following is yesterday's press release from our partners, MTV EXIT, about their upcoming event to raise awareness and strengthen prevention of human trafficking, particularly of Burmese in Thailand, an especially at-risk population.

U.S. ROCKERS THE CLICK FIVE TO HEADLINE MTV EXIT CONCERT IN BANGKOK TO RAISE AWARENESS AND INCREASE PREVENTION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
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THAI ARTISTS POTATO, THAITANIUM, SLOT MACHINE AND BRAND NEW SUNSET JOIN BURMESE STARS PHYU PHYU, YA THA, SAW PHOE QUAR AND KYET PHA WHO WILL BE PERFORMING IN THAILAND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

BANGKOK 26 November 2008 – MTV Thailand, the MTV Europe Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced a special MTV EXIT concert in Bangkok to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking. The event’s organisers are making a special effort to reach the Burmese migrant community in Thailand, a group at risk of trafficking and exploitation. The concert takes place at Parc Paragon on Sunday, 14 December.

Headlining the concert are US rockers The Click Five, winners of the Knockout Award at the 2008 MTV Asia Awards. Thai artists Potato, Thaitanium, Slot Machine and Brand New Sunset are supporting the campaign with performances at the concert.

These artists are joined by four Burmese stars – Phyu Phyu, Ya Tha, Saw Phoe Quar, and Kyet Pha – performing in Thailand for the first time.

The concert will reach out to the estimated 1 million Burmese migrants in Thailand to promote an understanding of trafficking issues and provide prevention information.

MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) is a project of the MTV Europe Foundation -- a London-based registered charity – to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking and exploitation. MTV EXIT in Asia is produced in partnership with USAID.

MTV EXIT has produced extensive programming and events in Europe and Asia to raise understanding about human trafficking. These have included documentaries presented by Angelina Jolie, Tata Young, Lucy Liu, Rain and other Asian celebrities, a music video collaboration with Radiohead, and multiple live concerts with artists including R.E.M. and Radiohead.

“We are thrilled and feel privileged to have been invited to participate in this exciting concert to help promote the MTV EXIT campaign in Thailand,” the members of The Click Five said. “The campaign to stop human trafficking addresses a fundamental human right that affects all members of our human race. We look forward to playing our music, meeting new friends and doing whatever we can to help in this important cause.”

"Music can be an incredible force for change and through this special concert and the other events that will be held across Asia, MTV EXIT will empower young people and their peers to combat trafficking," said Simon Goff, Campaign Director of MTV EXIT.

"On-the-ground events, like the ones we’re supporting in Bangkok, Phnom Penh and elsewhere in Asia, aim to break the cycle of trafficking," said USAID Mission Director Olivier Carduner. "By working with MTV, NGOs and governments throughout Asia, we can teach young people to protect themselves by learning to identify the tactics used by traffickers and those seeking to exploit."

MTV EXIT television programming is produced rights-free and free of charge for all broadcasters and organisations.
For more information, please contact:
Matt Love, MTV EXIT, +66 837 889 640, love.matt@mtvne.com

More Information:

MTV EXIT
The MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign is an award-winning multimedia initiative to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking and exploitation. MTV EXIT was launched in Europe in 2004, in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, and expanded across Asia with USAID in 2007. To date MTV EXIT has produced many MTV documentaries and other programming on trafficking, including Traffic: An MTV EXIT Special, presented by Lucy Liu; Inhuman Traffic, presented by Angelina Jolie; over a dozen localized language versions presented by Asian celebrities; short films; public service announcements; and animation. MTV EXIT and Radiohead collaborated on an anti-exploitation video for their song All I Need, which premiered across MTV’s global network on 1 May 2008. MTV EXIT has also established partnerships with over 100 non-governmental organisations, distributed hundreds of thousands of anti-trafficking brochures in over 25 languages, and reached out to millions of young people through anti-trafficking messages at concerts and music festivals featuring R.E.M., Radiohead, The White Stripes, The Hives, Thievery Corporation, and hundreds of other international and local artists. For more information see www.mtvexit.org.

Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking is defined by the United Nations as "the recruitment, transportation, and receipt of a person for sexual or economical exploitation by force, fraud, coercion, or deception" in order to make a profit. The UN estimates that at any one time there are 2.5 million trafficked victims in the world, with the majority of these victims in Asia and the Pacific. It is the second-largest illegal trade after drugs, with criminal traffickers earning over US$10 billion every year through the buying and selling of human beings. Often, victims are young men and women – the MTV demographic – who are guilty only of wanting a better life.

MTV Europe Foundation
Launched in 2003, the MTV Europe Foundation is a UK-based charity (Reg. No. 1103267) whose overarching aim is to utilize and maximize the power of MTV’s network to educate youth and adults on critical social and human rights issues. The Foundation produces multimedia programming and events aimed at raising awareness and influencing attitudes and behaviors on key issues, as well as inspiring young people to take action. In addition, the Foundation seeks to support nongovernmental organizations that are working on the ground to address these issues and effect positive change.

USAID
USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, is an independent US government agency that receives foreign-policy guidance from the US Secretary of State. Since 1961, USAID has been the principal US agency extending assistance to countries worldwide recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia, based in Bangkok, oversees a broad portfolio of regional and transnational programs, and also provides support to several USAID bilateral missions in Asia. Its regional approach addresses problems that cross national boundaries, such as human and wildlife trafficking, HIV/AIDS, natural resources conservation, trade, and political and economic conflict. See www.usaid.gov and www.usaid.gov/rdma/ for more information..