Ray Lian is an organizer of D.C. Stop Modern Slavery Now, a community group that fights human trafficking by raising awareness. On Sept. 26, the group is holding an anti-child-trafficking walk in the District, the culmination of three years of effort on Lian’s part, among others, in bringing together the various non-governmental groups in the area the fight the modern-day slave trade. For information about the walk, visit stopmodernslavery.org.
How did you first become involved with fighting human trafficking?
When I first learned about human trafficking I became fascinated with it. I was surprised to learn that slavery still existed. I started attending Stop Modern Slavery Now group meetings. Back then, it was more like a book club, with people meeting monthly to discuss the issue. … Things changed for me after I was carjacked. After that, I got time off from work to recover. I remember feeling helpless that I couldn’t do anything. A volunteer group that helps crime victims reached out to me and helped me recover, and I decided I wanted to do something like that for trafficking victims.
How did the walk come about?
We were contacted by Stop Child Trafficking Now, a recently formed group in New York City. They’re organizing similar walks in 50 cities across the country on the same day. … They’re raising money to hire investigators who will root out child predators.
Are they getting all the proceeds?
We’ll get 25 percent — 10 percent to cover the costs of the walk — and then we’re going to give 15 percent to Courtney’s House, a new shelter in D.C. for child survivors of sex trafficking.
There are rumors that President Barack Obama will show up, is that true?
His scheduler reached out to Stop Child Trafficking Now, saying the president was interested in coming to either the New York City walk or the D.C. one. But in the end, he can’t make it. — Freeman Klopott
