MAILBAG TIME! WRITE ARUBAN TOURISM AUTHORITY!

I just became familiar with the Holloway case and found your boycott site. I sent the e-mail below to Aruban tourism officials. Thank you for the site.

ata.aruba@aruba.com

ata.pr@aruba.com

To Whom It May Concern:


I was preparing to book a winter vacation for my family to Aruba when I became familiar with the Natalee Holloway case. I did some research and I am appalled at the lack of action on the part of the Aruban government in this matter. Until the suspects in this case are brought to justice I will never travel to Aruba and will make sure that my many associates who travel do likewise.


There is certainly more then ample evidence to proceed in this case and Aruba ’s complicity in this is nauseating. I do not know how many e-mails like this you have received but I will do everything in my power to support the boycott of tourism to your country. I cannot imagine that I am alone in this feeling. Anyone who investigates this case would undoubtedly feel the same.


I would love to visit Aruba but will certainly not do so until your government decides to do the right thing. Shame on you.


Regards,

Wayne (last name withheld by this blog)

AUDIO COMMENTARY--WHAT I THOUGHT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO...

Gabcast! Boycott Commentary #2 - Audio Commentary

What I was thinking a week ago...

PAULUS DENIES ALLEGED PHONE CONVERSATION WITH JORAN

Do we know when that conversation between Joran and his father took place? He could have been talking about the recent human trafficking scandal he's caught in. Joran could have easily spliced in him bringing up the situation of Natalee and insert the human trafficking line of his father's to coincide with his story he told Greta. Joran was never specific on when the phone calls took place and Greta has not been able to prove when the recording was made. I'd like to see the experts opinions on the validity of these recordings.

Besides, have you listened to it? It sounds like Darth Vader having a conversation under a wet blanket.

I still think Joran is lying and he's throwing his father under the bus....which doesn't bother me a bit. However, do you remember what he told Greta after she asked him if he was still speaking with his parents? He said he wasn't. She asked him if that was HIS doing or THEIRS. He said HIS.

The more Joran throws crap out there the more convuluted this case is and it stops the process of the REAL leads that are not being looked into!!!

Could it be Joran's newest lies were in attempt to throw off the validity of the two recent witness accounts? Specifically the witness who saw Joran that night at 4:00 wet, dirty, with one shoe and then seeing Paulus in his red jeep pick up Joran. That man passed two polygraphs in the U.S.

How about we get Joran to submit to a polygraph?!?! That would end this once and for all, Joran. You claim that is what you "really want", isn't it?

Paulus Van Der Sloot's Motto: "Deny, deny, deny..."

Paulus van der Sloot, father of the Holloway case suspect Joran, is refusing to respond to allegations that his son told him about what happened to the missing American teenager. In an interview aired in the US on Tuesday, Joran told Fox News TV how he had sold Natalee Holloway to a Venezuelan man on the beach in Aruba for 10,000 dollars.

A Fox News reporter managed to show Mr Van der Sloot's father some transcripts of tape recordings of him talking to his son about the Natalee Holloway case. At one point, the transcript shows how his father says to Joran,

"But what you've done is pretty bad. Human trafficking is a serious crime."

Fox News TV also aired the audio recording of the telephone conversation between Joran and his father. They spoke in clearly understandable Dutch; the audio was subtitled in English on screen. Confronted with the possibility that Natalee might still be alive, Paulus van der Sloot went into his office and broke off the outdoor interview.

The reporter says that Mr van der Sloot did not deny that the transcribed conversations actually took place.

Joe Tacopina, who was Joran van der Sloot's lawyer in the Aruba investigation, says he also spoke to Paulus van der Sloot. To Tacopina, Paulus said he had never had such a conversation with his son, suggesting that the audio recording had been doctored. Mr Tacopina was accusing Fox News of paying Joran for the recordings and his interview simply to make great tv and increase ratings. The lawyer also said Joran is "despicable" and "on the verge of [being a] sociopath".

http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/081126-holloway-father

ARUBAN SPOKESPERSON: "WE CAN'T VIEW JORAN'S INTERVIEW ON ARUBA"

What do they mean, they "can't view it"? Do they not have access to computers, or are they some sort of dictatorship telling their people they are not allowed to watch it?

Hans Mos still has no interest in any of the recordings.

No interest in the two new witnesses, no interest in the recordings...what is he interested in?

Shoving everything under the carpet and hide until the tsunami clears.

Believe me...the tsunami that is coming your way is going to sink every corrupt person that is involved in this cover-up. Including YOU, Hans...

Public Prosecutor’s Office

The Public Prosecutor’s Office on Aruba has no comment regarding the content of the Fox News broadcast. “We can’t view it on Aruba”, says a spokesperson of the Justice Department. She refers all media to a press release which was sent out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office last week when the anchor lady Van Susteren accused the Public Prosecutor’s Office of having no interest in the recordings. “There was no reaction to our requests to send us the tape in Aruba”, stated the press release.

In a private conversation held between the Public Prosecution’s Office and Van Susteren, she would have told the Public Prosecution’s Office that she wasn’t in the position to fulfill their requests as she has ‘business obligations’ in the US. The chief of the Public Prosecution’s office Hans Mos would have to come and get the tape in Miami under the condition: take it, or leave it, reports the Public Prosecution’s Office. In July a producer of Fox News had informed the Public Prosecution’s Office about the contents of the show. The Public Prosecution’s Office concluded however that the new information was not connected enough to their own investigation.

http://www.amigoe.com/artman/publish/artikel_49769.php

SO YOU DON'T THINK THERE'S A COVER UP?

By Richard, Aruban Boycott Member


I think that it's juvenile to throw invective at Greta von Susteren ... and positively sickening to see some people (probably the Aruban contingent) doing this to Beth, Dave, and/or Natalee Holloway. We are here to discuss what happened to Natalee, who is responsible, and why Aruba has decided to cover up this case for nearly three and a half years?

What? You don't think there's a cover-up? In that case, you must look at the Aruban government and law enforcement as less competent and intelligent than the average cockroach ... which is not hard to believe. But most of us are convinced that forces are at work to protect certain individuals.

Some of us have, for the last year and more, been writing to officials and appearing at tourism events to urge people not to go to Aruba. We don't do this just when a story breaks; we have been doing this regularly. I hope that anyone sincerely concerned at the prospect of this American family having to fight a foreign government for basic justice, in the face of inconceivable indifference from our own government (which some of us think exists basically to help Americans) will share our beliefs.

If so, please contact our e-mail at JusticeforNatalee@gmail.com.

You say a boycott effort cannot work? In February, Nelson Oduber said on Nova TV of the Netherlands that Aruba had "already" lost tens of millions of dollars in tourist revenue because of the Natalee Holloway case and the ensuing boycott. We know that Aruba was concerned enough about the boycott threat that it, in turn, threatened Beth and Dave that it would close off the investigation unless they kept quiet about a boycott.

(Later, of course, Aruba said it didn't even control the investigation ... but we know what to expect from them, the same that we have seen since May 30, 2005.)

You say a boycott might hurt innocent Arubans? Both PvdScum and JvdScum have said that they don't care if Aruba is boycotted or not ... but we, the American people, should, in the face of blatant injustice? Not in my book.

The simplest thing you can do: don't go to Aruba. Even better: don't go there, and let them know why not. Best of all: don't go there, let them know why not, and help spread the word.

We are determined that we will continue to seek answers in Natalee's case, and not only when the media spotlight is switched on for a time.

"No justice for Natalee ... no tourists for Aruba."

We look forward to hearing from you.

TO BELIEVE OR NOT TO BELIEVE...THAT IS THE QUESTION

Last night on Greta Van Susteren, she revealed an interview she did with Joran in Thailand. WHY? Joran wanted to come out with the "real truth" this time.

The real truth?

How many "truths" are there?

This time Joran's truth amounted to the fact that he did not dump Natalee's body into the ocean. This "truth" comes in the form of "I sold Natalee for $10,000 to some guy" he met while gambling a few days before meeting Natalee.

While some of his admissions could be plausible, I DO NOT believe this version of his "truth".

However, I do believe that this COULD have happened--but it did not pan out because Natalee was drugged and overdosed on the beach. Maybe this was his original plan, but "something bad happened" which interrupted the course of his intentions.

I surmised in a previous post that Joran could have learned about the sex trafficking business while living in Aruba as a teenager because one does not just enter into the world of human trafficking on a whim. He had to learn how to do this prior to Peter De Vries capturing him on video tape in Thailand luring women into the "business". It was evident in the undercover video that he was a pro. He was clear and concise on how he would get these girls phony identification and work permits and what they would have to do in order to earn their keep. SEE HERE.

However, last night's "confession" was unclear, murky, and full of holes. Complete with empty and unanswered questions of previous confessions. If he really did sell Natalee to this unknown man, then why did he tell the police in his interrogations that she was dead? He wouldn't have had to say these things if he REALLY passed her off to some unknown man on a boat.

SEE VIDEOS HERE

This comment was left on Greta's blog last night by a man named "Bill" that I agreed with 100%:

"Over the past 15 years, I have interviewed countless young people, who have been accused of committing a variety of offenses, some of which were violent offenses, and I have developed an interview approach that helps me sort out their credibility. In my opinion, after watching the interview this evening, I have no doubt that this young man was dishonest about much of what he said. His answers to questions were vague, time frames shifted continuously, and the actions he described just didn’t make sense. What is really puzzling is what motivates him to continue to talk about what he may or may not have done. It may be that he likes the media attention, but that is risky and can backfire, it may be that he is experiencing a significant mental illness, or he may be one of those rare antisocial personalities that will continue to cause pain and suffering to everyone they run into (in some way or another)..."

http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2008/11/24/tonights-on-the-record-at-ten-pm/all-comments/#comments

LISTEN TO THE LEVI PAGE SHOW

Listen to the LEVI PAGE SHOW from last night, Sunday, November 23, 2008, where Natalee's case was discussed regarding Prosecutor Hans Mos's refusal to meet Greta Van Susteren for new information on Natalee's case, the two additional witnesses that have been "dismissed", and the ongoing investigation of Joran van der Sloot's new occupation of sex trafficking in Thailand.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HeadingRight/LeviPage/blog/2008/11

ARUBAN BOYCOTT HITS THE AIR THIS SUNDAY!

LINK TO LEVI PAGE SHOW

Michelle Simonsen who blogs at the "Boycott Aruba -- Justice For Natalee" blog will join us to discuss the latest in the Holloway case.



CALL IN AND VOICE YOUR OPINION!


Call-in Number: (347) 838-9781


Sunday, November 23, 2008

Show Begins 10:00 PM EST

Aruba Boycott is 2nd segment at 10:30 pm EST

Topics to be discussed:

• Prosecutor Hans Mos, and his refusal to meet with Greta

• The investigation into the new witnesses (the former girlfriend of Joran, and the man that placed him and his father, at a pond)
  

• The recent allegations that Joran is involved in a Thai sex ring.

Also on the program beginning at 10:00 pm EST:

• Pat Brown criminal profiler weighs in on the disturbing case of a 8-yr old Arizona boy, charged as an adult for shooting his father, and his fathers friend.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HeadingRight/LeviPage

TACOPINO COMES OUT FROM HIS CAVE...AND FEEDS MORE B.S.

Fox News, 11/20/08

Joe Tacopino finally came out of his hole after weeks of laying low and finally gave his opinions on Joran's recent conduct and the new witnesses that could help solve Natalee's case.

It's been a long time since we've heard from Taco boy, so don't forget about his condescending mis-truths and lies. Some attorneys are total scum and he is one of them.

On crack.

In denial.

No conscience.

Speaking total bullshit.

Tacopino's "Deep Thoughts..."


How does Joe current feel about this case?
So is Peter de Vries really a bloodhound life sucker?
Is it all really much 'ado about nothing'?
Do these new witnesses have no real value?


Enquiring Minds Want to Know!

"You know I had really nothing to say about this John until today when I received the press release from the Aruban Prosecutor who have certainly not been friends of Joran or the defense team for that matter in this investigation. And what they basically said is that 'you know, it's more of the same'.

They basically put out a press release saying 'there's been a lot of stories going on, a lot of releases about new witnesses coming forward with value to this case, new allegations of another covert operation by this Dutch reporter who seems to making a living off of Joran, and really what they are saying in this press release as I just showed you, it it is 'much ado about nothing.' No further leads of any value regarding the Natalee Holloway investigation and really that's all I care to speak of."

Joe, how do you REALLY feel about these witnesses?
One who even passed a polygraph in the United States?

"...you know I honestly don't know who these witnesses are, there have been plenty of witnesses that have come forward in this case that have later proved to be either absolutely insane or just absolutely incredible.

The prosecutors claim that this is not a new witness, the witness we've heard about in the last week or so, that they've investigated the statement of that witness and the prosecutor does not give the police further leads to investigate; nor does it help in solving the case. (All because Hans Mos doesn't "believe" in polygraphs!) And help is a very low standard. So, if this thing doesn't help in the case clearly...there is not any evidentiary value."

So, do you know what Joran's been up to?

"You know, he's been tracked in Thailand. He's in school. (Did you have a bowl of stupid for breakfast? School of sex trafficking, maybe. I guess that sort of runs under the "business" major he once wanted...)

He's trying to get on with his life, and he's not doing well with it, obviously. You know he's made a lot of mistakes in the aftermath of this investigation, you know those things I quite frankly don't have any, you know I'm not trying to make any excuses for some of this conduct, but it has nothing to do with the Natalee Holloway investigation.

And you know he's sort of become a lightning rod for people that want to pin things on him (WTF??? Video tapes don't lie sweetheart...) and he's given them fodder for that, I mean, they offer him money, you know, to speak and so those aren't things that credible journalists do, but anyway..."

Aruba won't really "close" this case, will they?

"...It won't go away forever until there is new material evidence. I mean if they come up with a video tape of evidence of this crime or if they come up with something substantial, much more substantial (what's more substantial than Joran HIMSELF confessing on hidden video? Joe, you should probably lay off the koolaid.) and must continue to investigate until the cows come home.

They actually have to petition the Court, the judge to be able to re-open and (Oh, you mean there's actual "work" involved? Wait, 'let me shave and eat my corn flakes first' before I do that...) there's got to be some sort of finality and some closure.

Look, if they come up with some real evidence, not these, you know bits and pieces of things that may not be credible, or may not be truthful, even things coming from Joran's mouth (Typical attorney...perfect knack for talking out of his ass.) I mean they really cannot pursue this, I think that's all they are saying.

Best Quote Ever

"...Because you know, the notion that the Aruban prosecutors don't want to solve this is ludicrous. "

Aruban Prosecutors--Stupid or Just Misunderstood?

"...This has been such a dark cloud over that little island, and certainly that office, they've been mobbed and ridiculed (boo hoo...let me get out my little violin for the poor lazy incompetents...) and sometimes rightly so, the fact of the matter is I think they look at this office as much as anyone."

We're Not Talking About the Thai Investigation, Joe...Stay Focused.

"...Most of this latest stuff has nothing to do with this investigation (Two witnesses? Isn't that the bulk of it, Joe?) and it's a new trap they laid for him, whether he did or not I really don't know and quite frankly don't care, it has nothing do to with the Natalee Holloway case.

You can look at the whole tape, not the snippet that they played or sold...he made five different sorts of statements that were all inconsistent and disprovable. It doesn't excuse his conduct, I'm not here to apologize or ask for an excuse or an understanding of this conduct, but I'm evaluating it as a lawyer, looking at the evidence and how it relates to this investigation."

GRETA GETS ON THE GLOVES..."LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!"

Watch out Hans Mos...big mistake pissing off America's media and in turn, their viewers, and then BOOM. You are losing more American tourists!

Sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles wisely. Is this one you want to take on? If Hilary Clinton is chosen for Secretary of State, you better believe this case is going to be on her desk after January. Screw Condi! She didn't do jack squat. Maybe because she was too busy being Bush's ass kissing token?

Someone Is Lying to You - Take Your Pick!

By Greta Van Susteren

Someone is a big fat liar — either I am the big fat liar or the Prosecutor in the Aruban Prosecutor's office. You take your pick!

Am I lying to you?

Or is the prosecutor in this release?

See below…a press release from the Aruban prosecutor's office….I think this press release below is preemptive (before we show you what we have Monday ) and an effort to cover one's ***.


This Aruban press release confuses (deliberately?) 3 matters.

One is a Dutch journalist and his show, another is a recent AP report about a witness and then the third is OUR investigation which I have offered to show the prosecutor but there is no interest.

It is a BIG FAT LIE to write in this press release below: "….The investigation led by this Office has been ongoing and, as has been done all the time, this Office and the Police investigate every new lead in this case…"

They have NOT investigated every new lead — in fact they REFUSE to investigate. What are they afraid of? Solving this? Is this about tourism on Aruba? Or what?

If you watch ON THE RECORD at 10pm, you know that in the last two nights, as well as here on GretaWire, I have told you that we have NEW information.

It is not simply a witness. I don't know if our new information is the answer to this mystery or a wild goose chase — and I have repeatedly said that.

I do know that NO DECENT PROSECUTOR who has ANY INTEREST in solving the case would ignore what we have and I have OFFERED to show the Aruba prosecutor first. He has subpoena power to check out leads.

This is a missing woman and this is not a matter to simply ignore. Every effort should be made to solve this…and in this instance, we are serving up information to the prosecutor that he has zero interest in looking at.

I talked to the prosecutor TWO WEEKS ago (not July if the press release below is referring to me.) I offered to meet him 1/2 way…he said he does not have time during the week…I offered him MY weekend, ..he said he does not work weekends…and he has a vacation coming up.

In my phone call to him two weeks ago I offered to show him what we have NO STRINGS attached…I said I was NOT asking for anything in exchange…not even an interview from him.

Go figure!

But here is your question: who is lying? take your pick…the prosecution in Aruba who says it is following up every lead and this is an ongoing investigation? Or am I lying when I say we offered new information to the prosecutor to follow up on and he simply refuses.

And yes, we will show you what we have on Monday and you can decide: should this be investigated?




http://gretawire.foxnews.com/page/2/

PROSECUTOR HANS MOS DOESN'T WORK WEEKENDS

Segment from last night's Greta's show discussing Hans Mos and his incompetence as a prosecutor.

Here are some great quotes of the evening:

After the latest witness came forward, even after PASSING a polygraph test in the United States Hans Mos "does not believe him."

Dave Holloway: (regarding witness): "...he has, he has spoken with Hans Mos probably about four months ago in the presence of Vinda Sousa, an attorney down there, and of course, many of the people with the EXCEPTION of the prosecutor believes this witness!"

"...when he got to the point about talking about the judge (Paulus Van der Sloot), Hans Mos made a comment 'what a nice guy he was' and all this other kind of stuff, then the witness said, 'I've had enough' and ended the statement. Then he came to us begging us to search this pond located near his home."


Bernie Grimm: "...and you agree to fly down to Miami and meet him halfway and he says, 'I'll take door #1, which is FLAT OUT not gettin' off your rear end LAZY...lazy is an easy way out and there are words I can't use on FOX that I would use to describe this..."

PROSECUTOR HANS MOS "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING"!

Greta weighs in on this "new witness" information from last night's show. Jossy Mansur of Diario newspaper thinks that the prosecutor is doing NOTHING to investigate new leads or this witness. He said "they are indifferent to this case...people of Aruba are not interested in this case."

HANS MOS--OLD TALK....SAME TALK

Here is an old video of Hans Mos on November 26, 2007...nearly a year earlier discussing how he is trying to build Natalee's case. He was new in his position as Prosecutor at the time of this video and things haven't seemed to change regarding his intellect on this subject. Nothing what he said then and have said now have amounted to a hill of beans. He's a two time talker and hypocrite to boot.

Sadly, a "must watch", it is truly a laugh riot if you are sadistic!

"TIPS RENEW HOPES OF SOLVING CASE?" WHATEVER...

As many of you know, I have been actively reporting on Natalee's case from day one, and most of you have been following this case just as closely if not closer than me.

Do you know how many of these "new reports" that will "solve the case" have surfaced over the last three years? Every time something new is reported, or someone comes forward, nothing happens.

Do I think they ever will conclude Natalee's case with the justice she deserves? Probably not. I just don't take these reports of "solving the case" seriously anymore. We've already solved the case. We know what happened. It's just a matter of putting the right people in prison.

Last year after Joran Van der Sloot confessed under hidden surveillance that he deposed of Natalee's body in the ocean, the Dutch prosecutor in Aruba, Hans Mos did NOTHING.

His logic?

Since Joran had lied so many times in the past, how could he know he was telling the truth now? Therefore, he never pursued any of the new information, nor did he bring anything to the Judges in Aruba.

What was Joran's defense after spilling the beans? He was lying because he was high on "pot". That boy has more lies than Pinocchio.

Even Natalee's father Dave Holloway stated, "As far as Aruba’s concerned, I doubt very seriously if they are going to do anything. It seems like every time you try to give them some information it’s discounted by the judges who are over this case." (http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/dutch_expose_reveals_new_information_into_natalee_holloways_disappearance/46176/)

It was recently reported that Hans Mos has decided to "close" Natalee's case at the end of the year. To the denial and dismay of the Aruban Tourism Authority, their economy and tourism has greatly suffered since this debacle of justice. The "powers that be" want this case, Beth Holloway, and the name Natalee Holloway to go away. Sorry. I think Aruba's reputation will forever be tarnished. There are millions out there that will not forget what happened to Natalee.

Incidentally, none of these reports and witnesses are "new" evidence and Hans Mos has pubicly dismissed them in the past. So why is he changing his tune now? Could it be that he has some political pressure on him? Or is this just another opportunity for him to look like he's doing something?

With the whacked-out legal system in Aruba, Joran has a better chance of seeing prison after his sex trafficking scandal in Thailand.

Read the "new hopes" here. I'm not holding my breath:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/18/grace.coldcase.holloway/index.html?eref=rss_crime

GRETA--HOPING HANS MOS WILL INVESTIGATE FURTHER...DON'T BET ON IT

Next week, if things go as planned, you will see some information we have obtained in the Natalee Holloway investigation. The information is in the form of audio and video tapes and other. The information is either the answer to what happened to Natalee Holloway or a wild goose chase. You will make your own judgment.

I am hoping that the Aruban prosecutor will use his subpoena power to investigate further…and I am hoping to at least shed light on a very big problem that our own State Department admits is a giant problem in the Aruba area.

Once we obtained this information months ago, our job has been twofold: to disprove or prove. A good investigator chases down every lead and then works to both prove and disprove that lead.



I will tell you this: the new information fits the time line. I will also tell you that Jim Hammer went to Aruba for us and when he confronted Joran Van der Sloot’s father it was, to say the least, “awkward.” It was so weird that Paulus Van der Sloot ripped a paper out of Hammer’s hand (a transcript) and ran into his office. Note also that until we got this information, the Kalpoe brothers’ Aruban lawyer would always return my phone calls. Now he will not…

Many of you have asked me in recent months what is the latest in this investigation. I can only tell you that we have not given up — and as proof of our stamina and determination, we have used weekends to work on this case and time during the week when we could fit between our other responsibilities.

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT--A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY PART II

Joran Van Der Sloot--The Man With
Many "Shortcomings"

Check out my latest commentary on www.nowpublic.com:

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT--A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY PART II

Previous Commentary, February 10, 2008

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT--A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY

SEX TRAFFICKING FACTS: THAILAND & THE NETHERLANDS

THAILAND & SEX TRAFFICKING

• Around 80,000 women and children have been sold into Thailand's sex industry since 1990, with most coming from Burma, China's Yunan province and Laos. (Mahidol University's Institute of Population and Social Research, "Trafficking of children on the rise," Bangkok Post, 22 July 1998)
  

• In Thailand, trafficking is a 500 billion annual business, which is 50%- 60% of the government's annual budget and more lucrative than the drug trade. (Authorites and activists, Kulachada Chaipipat, "New law targets human trafficking," The Nation, 30 Novermber 1997)

• Women from Thailand are trafficked particularly to the Netherlands and Germany of the European Union, Japan, Australia, India, Malaysia and nations of the Middle East. ("Trafficking of Women to the European Union: Characteristics, Trends and Policy Issues," European Conference on Trafficking in Women, (June 1996), IOM, 7 May 1996) and (CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
  

• Thailand is a staging point for the international trade in prostitutes and illegal workers, with facilities for the production of false travel documents and processing of foreign nationals to third countries. (Chulalongkorn University, "There’s money everywhere for Thai police," The Nation, 25 February 1997)

• In Thailand, the new Measures in Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Women and Children Act only issues authorities the right to detain suspected victims of trafficking, not the suspected traffickers. (Kulachada Chaipipat, "New law targets human trafficking," The Nation, 30 November 1997)

• Prostituted women who are illegal immigrants when found by police are deported and blacklisted. (Police Colonel Sanit Meephan, deputy chief of the Tourism Police Bureau, "Thailand popular haunt for foreign prostitutes," The Nation, 15 January 1997)

• Reduced punishments for prostituted women and harsher penalties for pimps and brothel owners has not curbed the problem of trafficking into Thailand. Officers in charge of enforcing the law, particularly immigration police do not take the matter seriously, or fail to take immediate action against violators. (Senator Keerana Sumawon, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, "Flesh trade shrugs off new risks," The Nation, 1 May 1997)

• Number of persons engaged in prostitution per type of sex industry establishment: 11,665 persons in restaurants; 9,397 in traditional massage parlors; 7,338 in karaoke bars; 5,964 in massage parlors; 5,743 in cafes; 5,229 in beer bars; 5,155 in brothels; 3,340 in go-go bars; 2,555 in cocktail lounges; and 1,936 in gay bars. Survey conducted nationwide in January 1998. (Thai Public Health Ministry. Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, "Vice purge hinders campaign as prostitutes go underground," Bangkok Post, 17 June 1998)
  

• Half a million women are in sexual slavery, accounting for 18-20% of all Thai women aged 18-30. (Pino Arlaccki, Head of UN International Drug Control Programme, in charge of UN efforts to fight organized crime, Associated Foreign Press, 13 November 1997)

• Thailand is now one of the world's AIDS capitals. The crisis is most severe in the North, where it is recommended that a state of AIDS emergency should be imposed. Suggested strategies include the immediate closure of all brothels in the region because the main route of transmission of AIDS is prostitution. ("Opening our eyes to the Aids problem," The Nation, 20 May 1997)

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/thailand.htm

• The Thai Government was placed in Tier 2 in the 2007 U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report for not fully complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but making significant efforts to do so.

• There are reports of local government officials who are complicit in trafficking. (2006 US Department of State Human Rights Report.) Since the September 2006 military coup, Thai government efforts to combat trafficking remain uncertain.

• The 1997 Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Women and Children Act criminalize trafficking for sexual exploitation. Penalties range from imprisonment for a year to life and fines of $50 to $1000. Penalties for trafficking of children between the age of 15 to 18 range from 3 to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine. Penalties for trafficking children under the age of 15 ranges from five to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine. (2006 US Department of State Human Rights Report)
  

• The Government of Thailand reported 88 arrests in cases brought against traffickers in the period from September 2005 through February 2007, involving a total of 100 victims. No public officials or law enforcement officials were arrested for being complicit in trafficking in 2006. (2007 US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report)

http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/thailand

THE NETHERLANDS & SEX TRAFFICKING

The Netherlands...acknowledges that prostitution—called "sex work"—is an inevitability, and has regulated the sex industry by legalizing brothels and creating official zones for street prostitution. The term "trafficking" is used only to designate forced prostitution, and traffickers are duly prosecuted.

Dutch police reports suggest that, as a result, prostitution has become both easier to regulate and socially acceptable. Rights-based organizations like the Network for Sex Work Projects applaud the creation of a safer workplace for most women in the Dutch sex industry, though they criticize the lack of protections for many trafficking victims, including non-EU citizens who are in the Netherlands illegally.

But despite its successes, a Netherlands-style approach has been flatly ruled out by the Bush administration. A State Department fact sheet on trafficking declares: "It is a vicious myth that women and children who work as prostitutes have voluntarily chosen such a life for themselves." Likewise, USAID has announced that "organizations which advocate or support the legalization of prostitution are not appropriate partners for USAID anti-trafficking grants or contracts."

http://www.motherjones.com/news/dailymojo/2005/05/sex_trafficking.html

• In Amsterdam, Netherlands, 80% of prostitutes are foreigners, and 70% have no immigration papers, suggesting that they were trafficked. (Marie-Victoire Louis, "Legalizing Pimping, Dutch Style," Le Monde Diplomatique, 8 March 1997)

• In the Netherlands, 33% of the prostitutes come from countries outside of the European Union, this increases to 50% in the larger cities (Altink, 1995) ("Trafficking of Women to the European Union: Characteristic, Trends and Policy Issues," European Conference on Trafficking in Women, (June 1996), IOM, 7 May 1996)

• Policy and Law The definition of prostitution in the Netherlands is now based on whether there was any coercion. Dutch authorities have even proposed a new concept: "full consent to exploitation of the self." Dutch policy has been held up as an example at almost every international conference. The Hague played a crucial part in drawing up the European action plan in preparation for the Beijing conference in September 1995, where the concept of "forced prostitution" was established for the first time a European government level. (Marie-Victoire Louis, "Legalizing Pimping, Dutch Style," Le Monde Diplomatique, 8 March 1997)

• The Netherlands government, in response to increasing trafficking in women, amended its criminal law in 1991. The maximum sentence for trafficking was raised from 5 to 6 years, and to 10 years for the trafficking of children under 16 and/or accompanied by serious physical violence. (Marie-Victoire Louis, "Legalizing Pimping, Dutch Style," Le Monde Diplomatique, 8 March 1997)

• The maximum penalty for alien smuggling in the Netherlands is one year. (Tass, 1995, "Trafficking and Prostitution: The Growing Exploitation of Migrant Women from Central and Eastern Europe," IOM, May 1995)

• Official Response and Action Although trafficking in women to the Netherlands and Belgium has risen police and immigrant authorities do not consider it a large problem. ("Trafficking and Prostitution: The Growing Exploitation of Migrant Women from Central and Eastern Europe," IOM, May 1995)

• There are an estimated 30,000 prostitutes in the Netherlands ("Sex tax Ticks off Dutch," Associated Press, 14 October 1997)

• The Phillippines, Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong are some of the primary Asian destinations for organized sex tours from the Netherlands. (CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/netherl.htm

• The government of the Netherlands promotes itself as the champion of anti-trafficking policies and programs yet cynically has removed every legal impediment to pimping, procurement and brothels. With the decriminalization of brothels in October, 2000, the Dutch government took a final step in making the prostitution industry fully legal in the Netherlands.

• In the year 2000, the Dutch Ministry of Justice argued for a legal quota of foreign “sex workers,” because the Dutch prostitution market demands a variety of “bodies” (Dutting, 2001: 16).

• Also in the year 2000, the Dutch government sought and received a judgment from the European Court recognizing prostitution as an economic activity, thus enabling women from the EU and former Soviet bloc countries to obtain working permits as “sex workers” in the Dutch sex industry if they can prove that they are self employed. NGOs in the Netherlands have stated that traffickers are taking advantage of this ruling to bring foreign women into the Dutch prostitution industry by masking the fact that women have been trafficked, and by coaching the women how to prove that they are self-employed “migrant sex workers.”

• One argument for legalizing prostitution in the Netherlands was that legalization would help end the use of desperate immigrant women trafficked for prostitution. A report done for the governmental Budapest Group* stated that 80% of the women in the brothels in the Netherlands are trafficked from other countries (Budapest Group, 1999: 11).

• As early as 1994, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) stated that in the Netherlands alone, “nearly 70 per cent of trafficked women were from CEEC [Central and Eastern European Countries]” (IOM, 1995: 4).
  

http://action.web.ca/home/catw/readingroom.shtml?x=31742&AA_EX_Session=c4aa600742f3c6b446e875f369a34278

• The Netherlands is a primary country of destination for victims of human trafficking. Many of these are led to believe by organized criminals that they are being offered work in hotels or restaurants or in child care and are forced into prostitution with the threat or actual use of violence. Estimates of the number of victims vary from 1000 to 7000 on a yearly basis. Most police investigations on human trafficking concern legal sex businesses. All sectors of prostitution are well represented in these investigations, but particularly the window brothels are overrepresented.

http://rechten.uvt.nl/victimology/national/NL-NRMEngels3.pdf

http://rechten.uvt.nl/victimology/national/NL-NRMEngels4.pdf

• An article in Le Monde in 1997 found that 80% of prostitutes in the Netherlands were foreigners and 70% had no immigration papers, suggesting that at least some were victims of sex trafficking, forced prostitution.
  

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/netherl.htm

http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Netherlands.htm

• An article in the New York Times in February 2008 stated that officials estimate that sexual transactions in Amsterdam account for about 100 million US dollars per year. The red light district is also a popular tourist attraction, so the revenues that Amsterdam earns in tourism can be partly linked to brothels and the unusual appeal they bring to city. Recently however officials have noticed an increase in violence centered around this irregular industry and have blamed this increase on the illegal immigration of individuals into Amsterdam to participate in the sex industry. There were 142 licensed brothels in Amsterdam, with about 500 window displays. Seventy-five percent of Amsterdam’s 8,000-11,000 prostitutes immigrated from Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. When the Dutch government legalized prostitution in 2000 it was to protect the women by giving them work permits but some fear that this business cannot be normalized.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/world/europe/24amsterdam.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

INTERVIEW WITH PETER DE VRIES ON JORAN'S NEW ILLEGAL BUSINESS VENTURE

Joran Van der Sloot threatens Peter de Vries...he is going to "teach him a lesson" at "any cost".

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT'S NEW CAREER--OR IS IT?

Was Joran's new sex trafficking career just on a whim, or had he been cultivating it for some time? Did Joran perhaps "intern" while he was still in his teens living on Aruba with his gang, "The Pimps" where Aruba is known as a "stop off/drop off/pick up" port for human trafficking? Maybe he's been doing this for years?

Would it be out of the question that Paulus van der Sloot was his mentor?

He knew right away to call daddy.

"He's done this like 20 times before and nothing ever bad happened."

Suppose Joran hadn't intended to kill Natalee. Suppose he was "pimping" her out. Look at Amy Bradley's case.

Then there lies that controversial picture where Natalee, Joran and Paulus are seen at the same table in the casino. Could Paulus have been the one to tell Joran Natalee is one he wants? Remember when Joran mentioned that he didn't like Natalee, and that he liked her friend instead? Was Natalee hand picked because of her white skin and blonde hair? Those features are big bucks. Is that why they stopped off at Joran's apartment with Freddy waiting? To take pictures for potential clients?




Something bad happened.

His plan didn't work because she was overdosing from the date rape drug she was given.

Could Paulus van der Sloot be involved somehow in the sex trafficking ring? How else would Joran have learned his craft? One doesn't go to Bangkok and just "set up shop" as a sex trafficker. It's like any organized criminal group. Joran has been groomed for this job for a long time.

Who taught him?

Just a thought...

CELESTE SPILLS THE BEANS--WILL IT AMOUNT TO A HILL OF THEM?

Dutch crime reporter Peter de Vries interviewed van der Sloot’s ex girlfriend Celeste.

“The girlfriend speaks out and states that she feels like ...Joran’s father played a larger role. Joran admitted to this girl that there’s only one other person who knows exactly what happened {to Natalee} and obviously you realize he’s insinuating that that’s his father,” explains Dave Holloway.

Holloway says during the expose, Celeste shares conversations and instant messages from van der Sloot.

During the program, Celeste says van der Sloot told her his dad coached him extensively about what to say to police concerning Natalee.

Celeste goes on to recount a conversation where van der Sloot told her he knew how to dispose of dead bodies so they’d never be found.

Dave Holloway says he believes Celeste is telling the truth, but he doesn’t believe it will be enough to charge or convict van der Sloot of Natalee’s death.

“As far as Aruba’s concerned, I doubt very seriously if they are going to do anything. It seems like every time you try to give them some information it’s discounted by the judges who are over this case,” says Holloway.

http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/dutch_expose_reveals_new_information_into_natalee_holloways_disappearance/46176/

JORAN ARRESTED!

It was just reported on the Nancy Grace show that authorities have found Joran van der Sloot somewhere off the coast of Thailand. Possibly KO SAMUI. Conveniently, there is an airport there as well.

Under Thai law, Joran faces up to EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON.


More as the story develops...

OTHER POSSIBLE THAILAND COASTAL CITIES HE COULD BE AT:

WATCH NANCY GRACE DISCUSS

WHAT A "REAL PROSECUTOR" WOULD DO!

I don't care what country you are in. When you are a prosecutor, you gather all the evidence and present it. You don't sit on leads and witness statements dismissing them with your own personal opinion.



Since Hans Mos is Dutch, could he be friends with Papa van der Sloot? Is that why he is stalling on taking any of the events in the last year, beginning with Joran's secretly recorded statement that he threw Natalee into the ocean, seriously?

A quote from the article below states, "Illustrious Dutch scientists told De Vries that these ‘TV-confessions’ are reliable. They don’t think that Joran had lied."

If what Joran said was not true, then he wouldn't have said it!

If Hans Mos doesn't trust these taped confessions, then why would "illustrious scientists" think otherwise? Wouldn't they be considered "expert witnesses" as to the validity of Joran's confession in Court?

Why is Mos not giving all this evidence and the new evidence (witness statements) to the judges? WHY NOT LET THEM decide what Joran's fate should be?




ORANJESTAD – The statement of the new witness about Joran’s involvement in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, is ‘very incriminating’ for him, indicated the spokesperson of the Public Prosecution's Office as a result of Sunday’s programme of crime-journalist Peter R. de Vries, in which this witness was mentioned. The justice department in the Netherlands has sent this statement to Aruba.


It is probably a confession of a friend of Joran, in which she aid that Joran had once insinuated having been involved with the disappearance of Natalee. Joran had also told her that he had misled the police in Aruba. “However, the witness statement is not specific enough regarding the fact of the disappearance of Holloway”, said the spokesperson.


The statement of the witness will be added to the dossier that has been brought back to life since the Public Prosecution reopened the investigation into Joran van der Sloot in February of this year, as a result of the first talked-about broadcast about him in the De Vries’ programme.


Purpose of the investigation is to determine whether Joran van der Sloot had told the truth in the secret recordings made by De Vries. Illustrious Dutch scientists told De Vries that these ‘TV-confessions’ are reliable. They don’t think that Joran had lied.


“Finding new evidence is difficult in a case that is for years in investigation”, explained the spokesperson of the Public Prosecution's Office. “None of the many tips have led to further proof. Some of De Vries’ tips are still being investigated.”


http://www.amigoe.com/artman/publish/artikel_49169.php

RENEE GIELEN: "WHY HASN'T THE FAMILY BEEN INVESTIGATED?"

ORANJESTAD – With her documentary “Natalee. The Unrevealed Timelines’ which premiered on Telearuba on Saturday, the movie maker Renee Gielen wanted to once more emphasize the reputed, ‘dubious’ role the Holloway family played in the disappearance of Natalee. Various speakers repeat what has already had a lot of attention in the media: why hasn’t the family been investigated? Did the FBI thwart the investigation? Was there political pressure put on the Kingdom?

One of the former head of the Holloway investigation, Gerold Dompig, has answered all these questions to Gielen, just as he did previously in front of the Dutch tv program ‘Netwerk’ and ‘EenVandaag’. The film maker had already heard it when she spoke to him last year. After Dompig was sidetracked by the FBI, was threatened by the FBI and was put under pressure by the American consul on Curaçao, he revealed to every journalist which asked him that there were obscure interests at stake.

According to him the highest ranks saw to it that the investigation did not focus on the Holloway family themselves. This was possible due to the fact that the Holloway family counted the American vice-president Dick Cheney as part of their circle of friends, says Dompig in the documentary. He was responsible for having set the case rolling. That is why also the American minister of Foreign Affairs Condoleeza Rice had contact with the Dutch government. That is why expensive F-16 planes were sent to Aruba to scan the island. This is all brought forward by Gielen in her movie in which she shows how the Justice department never actually gave a clear reaction to the public.

“The approach of this documentary is not sensational and is not meant to deal with Joran van der Sloot”, says the Curacaoan film maker right before the premier. “I focus on aspects of the case which others left lying.” She traveled to the US, to the state of Alabama where the Holloway family come from. She did not achieve however, with the exception of Natalee’s father Dave, to come into contact with her friends. Dompig experienced the same thing when he wanted to question them, but this is being prevented on a diplomatic level, Gielen reveals. She did manage to interview a well-known American dj in the US which had his doubts from the beginning about the American interference in the case. “And why a boycott against the whole country (Aruba), while there are cases in the US where Danish people and Germans have disappeared”, he points out.

Except for Dompig, Gielen also talked to various people on Aruba about the case. Apparently an ambulance plane had arrived on Aruba (too) shortly after the disappearance of the girl to fly her to the US once found, an account which Gielen had already revealed to the media. The plane had stood on standby on the airport for days, without having informed the Aruban authorities. Why was it better to keep this from the Aruban authorities? There’s also the question as to why the family left the police in uncertainty about a possible golden tip which mother Beth received shortly after the disappearance? A lot of questions which also Gielen doesn’t have the answers to in the documentary, but which remain fascinating.

http://www.amigoe.com/artman/publish/artikel_49115.php

ORANJESTAD – Renown scientists believe that the ‘tv-confession’ by Joran van der Sloot (21) about his involvement in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway is reliable. Their statement was made after crime reporter Peter R. De Vries requested to review the conversations between Van der Sloot and infiltrator Patrick van der Eem. The scholars don’t believe that Joran lied, which he claimed he did after the results of the undercover action. Also concerning the reputed trafficking in women, Van der Sloot reported that it was bluff.

According to professor of psychology Harald Merkelback, Joran felt ‘at ease’ in the car. “His story against Van der Eem made a very authentic impression. A crucial moment lies in the movements he makes when he says that Natalee started trembling. You don’t act like that when a story is fabricated.” The scientists Corine de Ruiter (forensic psychology) and Peter van Koppen (legal psychology) also believe that the story doesn’t come over rehearsed.

In yesterday’s broadcast by De Vries, a friend of the suspect by the name of Celes said that Van der Sloot made insinuations about getting rid of a body and hinted that his father knew more about the case. “Only one person knows exactly what happened. He made Joran always lie and twist things around”. The friend had given an detailed testimony at the Dutch investigation bureau.

Public Prosecution

The Public Prosecutor in the Netherlands will not be taking any steps yet after the broadcast. “If there’s a case of a criminal offence, then further investigation has to be done”, says a spokesperson of the National Prosecutor’s Office. “Punishable acts are not determined on the basis of a television broadcast.”

The Public Prosecution on Aruba is still conferring about a possible reaction, says spokesperson Ann Angela. Also about whether the ‘new witness’ plays a role in the investigation. Only in December will they decide whether or not action will be taken against Van der Sloot. His testimonies on tv seem to be insufficient material for the Justice Department to prosecute him.

Whether the Public Prosecution will also investigate possible criminal practices of the 21 year old Van der Sloot is left in the middle. It is possible that the Thai authorities will act as according to criminal reporter De Vries, while in the Thai capital Bangkok Van der Sloot proposed to pay Thai women to go to the Netherlands to work for the sex industry. It did not result in real business. In the new undercover action Van der Sloot did accept a downpayment of 1000 euros for the preparations of this ‘human trafficking’, something which could be punishable.

Fugitive

Joran van der Sloot did not wait for the Thai authorities. According to the Dutch media he’s on the run after he was exposed as a trafficker of women on Sunday. Shortly before the broadcast yesterday of De Vries’ program he disappeared without a trace. The Thai justice department has woken up following the commotion surrounding the case and has asked the Dutch embassy for video material.

“They want the broadcast translated, so that the Justice Department in Thailand can view it from a criminal point of view”, decalred De Vries today. “They have told me that they will come into action as the approach to trafficking of women is very important.” The Thai embassy wasn’t available for comments today.

Joran van der Sloot has threatened to send a hired killer from Thailand to Peter R. de Vries if the criminal reporter doesn’t stop trailing him or approaching Van der Sloots’ friends or family. “If it really is bullshit again, I will send someone for him”, wrote Van der Sloot this week in an msn-message.

According to a witness, Joran was at a party in Bangkok last Friday evening, but didn’t return home after that. Another man claims to have seen him on an inland flight to the island of Koh Samui off the Thai coast. Van der Sloot’s lawyer, Bert de Rooij, reported that the talks with his client are strenuous.

Millions of viewers

According to the figures by the Nederlandse Stichting KijkOnderzoek (Dutch viewers research foundation) De Vries’ broadcast last night attracted almost 3.5 million viewers. That’s half of the number of viewers which followed Van der Sloot’s confession at the beginning of the year in a broadcast about Natalee Holloway. The broadcast wasn’t aired on Aruba or in the Netherlands Antilles.

http://www.amigoe.com/artman/publish/artikel_49114.php

HANS MOS TO CLOSE NATALEE HOLLOWAY CASE FOR GOOD

Hans Mos--The Worst Prosecutor in the World

An undisclosed source close to Dave Holloway announced this information in an email:

Dutch Prosecutor Hans Mos has said:

1 - The recent Joran/Thailand sex trafficking story is unrelated to the Natalee case so there is nothing relevant to Natalee's case.

2 - The new statements by Joran's girlfriend: Mos says this does not add enough new info or anything he can use against Joran, so he is dismissing her statement.

3 - Mos plans to finally close Natalee case in December (for good this time).

The only reason it remained open this year was De Vries' tape that went global media which forced him to open it - but since then he sees no valid reasons to keep it open so he will close it in December.


PLEASE NOTE MR. MOS--There is NO statute of limitations for MURDER. You may "close" this case, but it will never be closed to the American public and all those who support the Holloway family who want justice for Natalee and that she be found and returned home to her family.

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT--A PROFESSIONAL PIMP

Joran's New Job--Sex Trafficker

Joran van der Sloot, the young man believed to be involved the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway on Aruba, is now involved in selling Thai women into prostitution, claims tv crime reporter Peter R de Vries.


De Vries won an Emmy for his tv report earlier this year in which Van der Sloot is caught on hidden camera talking about Natalee's body was dumped at sea. Holloway disappeared in 2005 and the case has never been officially solved.


Now De Vries has made a second report based on an undercover operation in Thailand, reports Friday’s Telefgraaf. The paper has seen a rough cut of the programme which is due to be shown on tv on Sunday night.


According to this latest exposé, Van der Sloot makes €10,000 for every girl he delivers to the Dutch prostitution market. The girls will work for ‘just 300 dollars a month’ he is reported as saying on camera.


During conversations taped in a hotel in Bangkok, Van der Sloot tells a man posing as a Dutch sex industry boss that he can organise visas and passports for the girls, who think they are going to the Netherlands to work as dancers.


De Vries tells the Telegraaf: ‘The pictures show how little respect this 21-year-old has for the lives of others. The fact that he goes into the trafficking of women after the disappearance of Natalee is typical of him… Making preparations for people smuggling is a crime. It could land him into big problems in Thailand.’ The programme will be broadcast on Sunday night.


http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/11/holloway_suspect_trafficks_in.php