Ton (who asked that his name be changed for this article) was 13 when he was sent away from his family home in Isaan, Thailand, to work for a “friend” in Pattaya. These “friends” the children and youth stay with are often anything but. The work starts relatively benign: sweep the bar, serve the patrons. But it slowly starts to escalate, drugs and alcohol are introduced, and eventually, the sex work begins. Not everyone makes it out, but he feels lucky he did. Now, he swags into the Muay Thai ring, bristling with muscle and covered in tattoos. His punches are freight trains, his shins made of steel, and there’s a fire burning in his eyes that’s difficult to describe. At first look Ton looks as though he could never be a victim of anything. The pinnacle of strong and cool, manliness embodied. However, when asked about his past, his eyes grow distant, his countenance changes. “Nobody gives a shit,” says Ton. “If you tell people, they tell you to ‘man up’ or be tougher. They question your manhood for ever being there in the first place.” Many male survivors’ stories are left unreported, perhaps due to “a culture that portrays girls as vulnerable, weak and victims and men as strong, powerful and perpetrators,” as described in ECPAT’s study “And Boys Too”. Ton gave us permission to share his story. “If people hear my story, then they will know the reality we face. I know this happens to more men, I still know men stuck in the system. I want my story out there so that people will know, people will be angry, and people will fight for change. Then, maybe someday, this will stop happening.” See our link in profile to read Ton’s story and learn more about how men’s stories are often left untold.
Ton (who asked that his name be changed for this article) was 13 when he was sent away from his family home in Isaan, Th... was originally published here https://www.instagram.com/p/CMvgk-pHr_N
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