Fig 1. Girl's view of man (retrieved http://soulpants.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/anti-trafficking-and-marketplace-redemption/)Cambodian Child Sex Industry
Child prostitution is an issue plaguing our world today. It is children as young as 6years old, partaking in sexual acts for payment, forced or not. It thrives typically in Cambodia’s shanty town of Svay Pak. Imagine a child you are close to working as a sex slave in a brothel. Because of the horrors, child prostitution in Cambodia must be stopped.
Child prostitution is an issue plaguing our world today. It is children as young as 6years old, partaking in sexual acts for payment, forced or not. It thrives typically in Cambodia’s shanty town of Svay Pak. Imagine a child you are close to working as a sex slave in a brothel. Because of the horrors, child prostitution in Cambodia must be stopped.
Fig.2 Many of Cambodia's prostitutes are underaged, BBC photographer unknown. Retrieved fromhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/921781.stm
What it is
According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, “the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations, especially for money” constitutes as prostitution. It has long been identified as history’s oldest profession, and the act of selling one’s body for sexual acts is not limited to only women. The Oxford Companion to the Body remarks that “while women's prostitution is far more easily talked about, male homosexual prostitution has existed alongside female heterosexual prostitution at least since the time of the ancient Greeks, but it is rarely discussed or studied” (Blakemore, Jennet). Many assume that it is only adult women that are prostitutes; however, this is incorrect as there are children, boys and girls that are forced in the profession. Cambodia’s Svay Pak is a notorious hotbed for child prostitution in particular. UNICEF estimates 50,000 to 100,000 women and children sex workers are active in Cambodia (Girl).
Corruption
Mu Sochua, a former minister of women's and veteran's affairs who is an anti-sex trade activist, said that there are millions of Cambodians living off of 50 cents a day. Poverty drives parents to sell their children and, for some, to turn to prostitution themselves (Girl).
Mu Sochua is interviewed in this video, particularly speaking about a case where a man was apparently guilty and the speculation that judges and people of the law were paid off.
This video does contain nudity. Two boys were sexually abused and had padlocks put on their genitals, that were later welded off. Pictures of this were used as evidence.
"Stolen Innocence-Cambodia." Youtube. uploaded 21 Sept. 2002 by username Journeyman. Web. 10 Dec. 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4ieL2PezjE This video's embedding is disabled by request. It is meant as a link.
Why
The movie “Sacrifice” by Ellen Bruno is a powerful glimpse into the lives of girls who were forced into the sex industry. Because of poverty, one girl lived in a house with a roof made out of grass. There were stories of girls that were forced to be a prostitute, because they were told that they owed a debt to the pimp, or were repeatedly raped. I found on Youtube.com uploaded sections of Bruno's movie, "Sacrifice: The Story of Child Prostitutes from Burma." uploaded 10. May. 2007 by user BrunoFilms acessed 10. Dec. 2008
Don't be fooled by the title, although many girls in Svay Pak are Cambodian, many girls from Burma are kidnapped and taken to Taiwan or Svay Pak. This enforces how many people are involved in the sex industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfWY_09UYQg ( this is intended to be a link only, as the user disabled embedding otherwise)
Beliefs
Also, beliefs that sex with virgins can cure sexually transmitted diseases, and that it gives rejuvenating powers to the participants, and the thrill of power an experienced man may have with an inexperienced child, ensures virgins as a product always in high demand (Blakemore, Jennet). Children as young as six years old are sold as virgins to customers with these beliefs.
Celebrities and Media
The British Glam-rock star Gary Glitter was charged numerous times with child molestation in many parts of the world. Being a foreigner and celebrity, he is a highly publicized example of what happens to child sex slaves. He began with child porn, found on his computer in 1999. "More than 4,000 such images, mostly of young girls but many of young boys, were found "(Glitter). Later he was expelled from Cambodia in 2002 over unspecified allegations. In March of 2006, convicted of molestion two girls ages 10 and 11 (Profile).
"Gary Glitter Back from Bangkok" accessed 11/3/08 on Youtube.com user name johnsmoonfruit2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0FWSE4Ntw0
Shunned
And when I accessed the United State’s H.R. 1356, the Freedom from Sexual Trafficking Act of 1999, it mentioned that many times, the prostitutes, or children, are more severely punished than the actual perpetrators, or the brothel owners and affiliates. Most Americans hold the idea of prostitution as something dirty that people choose to participate in. Burmese families hold similiar ideas, seen through the video Sacrafice, that some of the girls are afraid to go home if given the chance to escape. Most likely, they are afraid of being shunned upon return.
Another Viewpoint
An estimated 200 prostitutes protested peacefully against the alleged sexual abuse when taken into custody after a Cambodian police crackdown. Sex work is their livelihood and they believe that they should never have been arrested to begin with. Cambodian police take prostitutes into custody. Pich Sokchea, a 42-year-old transvestite sex worker with the Women's Network for Unity "We do not think that sex work is wrong. It is just a means to an end" (Cambodian).
International and Media Pressure
The United States frowns on Cambodian Child prostitution. The U.S. Department of State issued a release about the attack on a trafficking shelter earlier that month. The Agir pour les Femmes En Situation Précaire--Acting for Women in Distressing Situations (AFESIP), runs the non governmental organization that receives U.S and international assistance. All but one of the 91 women at the shelter were kidnapped.
Alas, much is being done to stop this evil practice, amendments and hearing in the U.S government as well as international organizations. The BBC and MSNBC are making great strides in introducing child prostitution to the general public; the media is making this issue more known to the public, and thus more proactive anti-slavery support is uncovered. Much is being done to help end child prostitution, but it is far from being solved. There are many organizations built to help the situation, humantrafficking.org, the Salvation Army, U.S Department of Justice among others.
Alas, much is being done to stop this evil practice, amendments and hearing in the U.S government as well as international organizations. The BBC and MSNBC are making great strides in introducing child prostitution to the general public; the media is making this issue more known to the public, and thus more proactive anti-slavery support is uncovered. Much is being done to help end child prostitution, but it is far from being solved. There are many organizations built to help the situation, humantrafficking.org, the Salvation Army, U.S Department of Justice among others.
"Child Sex Tourism In Flight Radio".YouTube. User name marchinvietnam. 20 Oct. 2008.
Air France shows this video in flight to passengers to discourage participating in the child sex industry and to promote awareness about child prostitution.
Life After Prostitution
In the U.S. H.R. 1365 Freedom from Sexual Trafficking Act of 1999, serial number 106-62, states "In order to deter international sexual trafficking and to bring its perpetrators to justice, nations including the United States must recognize that sexual trafficking is a grave offense...and must act on this recognition by prescribing appropriate punishment ...by giving the highest priority to its investigation and prosecution..."(pp.13 Section 6 line 13) The overall mentality of what needs to be done is clear, that it must be severely discouraged, and thus stopped. Not only that, but safe houses are also established for rescued prostitutes, where they learn trade skills and are counseled.
In the U.S. H.R. 1365 Freedom from Sexual Trafficking Act of 1999, serial number 106-62, states "In order to deter international sexual trafficking and to bring its perpetrators to justice, nations including the United States must recognize that sexual trafficking is a grave offense...and must act on this recognition by prescribing appropriate punishment ...by giving the highest priority to its investigation and prosecution..."(pp.13 Section 6 line 13) The overall mentality of what needs to be done is clear, that it must be severely discouraged, and thus stopped. Not only that, but safe houses are also established for rescued prostitutes, where they learn trade skills and are counseled.
Many women are given shelter, as there are some shelters available.
"Cambodia: CHILD SEX SLAVERY ." Youtube. 16. April 2007. Web. 20 Oct. 2008 user name AhmekKhmer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyIpOCeYSIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyIpOCeYSIw
Child prostitution caters to the selfish needs of pedophiles. Also, it takes the importance of childhood away for so many innocents. This issue is on our doorstep, and we see this through examples like Gary Glitter, demonstrating that Cambodia is not the only place with pedophiles. This is a global issue, and is not contained to a single nation, or people. No child deserves such a life, and it needs to be stopped.
Blakemore, Colin and Jennet, Shelia. “Prostitution.” 2001.Web. 8 Dec 2008.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-prostitution.html
“Girl, 6, embodies Cambodia's sex industry.”CNN. CNN, 26 Jan. 2007. Web. 8 Dec. 2008.
“Cambodian Prostitutes Protest Police Crackdown: Cambodian prostitutes protest police crackdown, allege physical and sexual abuse.” Associated Press. ABC. 4 Jun, 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2008.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4996865
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4996865
"Glitter jailed over child porn." BBC. BBC, 12 Nov.1999. Web. 10 Dec. 2008.
"Profile Gary Glitter." BBC. BBC, 21 Aug. 2008. Web. 10 Dec. 2008.
The Movie, Sacrifice, a film by Ellen Bruno VHS 20027 C.2 from Washington State University, Pullman Media Materials and Reserves
United States. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations. Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.Title H.R. 1356, the Freedom from Sexual Trafficking Act of 1999
United States. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations. Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights. Title H.R. 1365 Freedom from Sexual Trafficking Act of 1999, Markup before the subcommittee on international relations house of representatives, on August 4, 1999 serial number 106-62
United States. Department of State. Cambodia---Attack of Trafficking Shelter. By Adam Ereli. 9 Dec. 2004. Web. 10 Dec. 2008
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