Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - The United Nations declared 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with a resolution passed on 17 December 1999. The origins of November 25th go back to 1960, when the three Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic were violently assassinated for their political activism. For the occasion Fides will publish a testimonial written by Sr Tharica Tiravanichpong, Carmelite Prioress in Bangkok (Thailand), taken from an enquiry undertaken by Luca de Mata-“Dio: pace o dominio”.
“You are in a Carmelite convent on Bangkok and all around you are sex tourists. And many, many of these 'tourist' are Christians. Many have a family and they go home with AIDS. Tragedies which involve wives and children. What sort of 'tourists' are these people who use girls as if they were products to buy and consume. Girls forced to do everything the clients ask of them.
All this is against God. All this degrades the value of humanity and of every human person. Women exploited, abused, reduced to a consumer product. Especially Christians should know that abuse of a person and especially sexual abuse is wrong. They use their money to humiliate the poor, they buy the poor to have sex. Why don't they use their money to alleviate the suffering of the poor. They should remember they are Christians and not use money to obtain sexual domination of another person.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 23/11/2007; righe 16, parole 234)
