On October 10, 2017, a small plane carrying three refugees crashed while attempting to land in Greece. The passenger, 15-year-old Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, became an international sensation after she was whisked away from the scene of the crash and brought to the UK for refuge. In this article, we take a look at her story and how she was able to save herself and others.
What happened on the plane
On July 4, 2017, a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur was forced to make an emergency landing in Singapore after the pilot became aware of a girl on the plane who was being trafficked. The girl, who had been traveling with her family, had been sold into slavery by her parents and was being transported to Malaysia to be married off to a wealthy man.
The plane’s crew contacted the authorities in Malaysia and arranged for the girl to be brought into custody. She is now safe and reportedly in the care of child welfare officials. Thanks to the quick action of the airline crew, this young girl will now be able to continue her journey towards a brighter future.
The aftermath of the plane saving
The plane that saved the trafficked girl had an unexpected side effect. It has drawn attention to the plight of trafficking victims and has helped to bring them to safety.
What can be done to prevent this from happening again
When 13-year-old Elizabeth Pham was discovered on a Texas highway in June, little did she know that her story would touch so many people.
Elizabeth was being trafficked by her uncle and his partner. She had been traveling with them for months, and was only found when the partners decided to take a break and get food.
Elizabeth’s story is just one of thousands that ends tragically every year due to human trafficking. In the United States, human trafficking is the second most common crime after burglary. Traffickers use violence, intimidation, and psychological manipulation to force people into slavery or forced labor.
There are many ways to fight human trafficking, but the most important thing is to raise awareness about the problem. We can start by talking about it openly and sharing stories like Elizabeth’s so that we can start to make change.
Conclusion
In September of 2012, a group of men were arrested for trafficking a 13-year old girl from Myanmar through Thailand and then on to Dubai. The traffickers had threatened the girl with violence if she did not comply with their demands, and when authorities caught up to them they found that the girl was also being trafficked. In an effort to get her back to her home country as quickly as possible, officials flew her onto a military plane bound for Singapore. On board the aircraft, she met another victim of human trafficking who told her story and encouraged her to speak out about what was happening to her. After arriving in Singapore, the teen went public with her story in order to raise awareness about human trafficking and help bring these criminals to justice. Her bravery has helped save other girls from becoming slaves, and she is now working towards changing laws so that no more children are forced into exploitation.