Embassy Activities
Ambassador John and an International Lineup of Burmese, Thai and U.S. Artists Call for an End to Human Trafficking at the MTV EXIT Concert in Bangkok on December 14
U.S. Ambassador Eric John joined MTV Exit Campaign Manager Simon Goff and a host of popular artists from Thai, Burma and the U.S. at the first MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) concert in Thailand at Parc Paragon on the evening of December 14. The special concert event, sponsored by MTV Thailand, the MTV Europe Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is part of the ongoing MTV EXIT campaign aimed at raising awareness about human trafficking. “Human trafficking is nothing less than a form of modern-day slavery… And the United States and Thailand are committed to ending slavery wherever it exists in the world,” said Ambassador John. “Today, through the MTV EXIT campaign, we have come together to bring an end to the cycle of slavery – an end to human trafficking.”
Leading off the highly-anticipated show were some of Burma’s top artists -- Phyu Phyu, Ya Tha, Saw Phoe Quar, and Kyet Pha -- performing in Thailand for the first time to raise awareness about trafficking among the estimated one million Burmese migrants in Thailand. Thai rockers Potato, Brand New Sunset, Slot Machine, and Thaitanium also joined the campaign with exciting performances at the Bangkok MTV EXIT concert. Boston-based The Click Five, winners of the Knockout Award at the 2008 MTV Asia Awards, capped off the night with a high-energy performance for the hundreds of fans in attendance. Volunteers at the concert also handed out information cards in Thai and Burmese with hotline numbers to call to report or learn more about human trafficking.
At the MTV Exit concert event in Bangkok music delivered the message. And, the message was clear: End exploitation and human trafficking now. To learn more about the MTV Exit campaign, click here. Click here to view Photo Gallery.