By Melinda Seeman
It is estimated that somewhere between 40,000 and 100,000 Cambodians are exploited as sex slaves. This translates to 1 in every 150 people in this country being involved. Cambodian, ethnic Vietnamese, Thai and Malaysian women and young girls are forced into sexual slavery under deplorable conditions. In order to develop an effective anti-trafficking plan of action, it is vital to first understand various aspects of the Cambodian sex industry. The factors perpetuating the Cambodian sex industry and sex slave markets are complex and interconnected. The Women and children forced into sex slavery suffer from both physical and emotional abuse, poor living conditions, and numerous health risks at the hands of their owners.
Cambodia has had a violent past, especially after the American-Vietnam War and the violent reign of Pol Pot, which left the country in a state of unrest. These events led to domestic displacement, poverty, an abundance of women, lack of government structures, social unrest, lawlessness and a surplus of brothels. The abundance of women all trying to survive in an environment of social disruption and civil unrest, along with high instances of poverty and poor education have made Cambodia a fertile ground for the growth of commercial sex districts. The soldiers and peace-keeping forces coming into the country, along with violent Pol Pot supporters were hungry for satisfaction and women and small children became their victims.
An additional factor that contributes to the Cambodian sex slavery industry is the newly found profits from sex tourism. Svay Pak has become a popular sex vacation destination for UN troops, other peace-keeping forces, and foreigners looking to purchase women for commercial sex acts. Many of these men have an appetite for very young girls. The money from these sex tourists benefits both the brothels and the surrounding community.
Children are the most innocent and also the most abused victims in the sex slave industry. It is estimated that 1 in 40 children born in Cambodia will be sold into sex slavery. Children, especially very young virginal girls, are appallingly abused as a result of myths surrounding the cure of HIV and AIDS. These young girls who are sold into slavery as young as the age of 4, often by their own family, are subjected not only to rape but also to the pain of re-stitching their hymen usually without the use of an anesthetic. These same little girls are then resold to new clients shortly thereafter and this process may be repeated over and over.
While a small percentage of women enter the sex industry willingly, the majority are forced into it. Some are deceptively promised a good job, while others are the victims of false marriage proposals and then oppressed into sex work. Horrifyingly the vast majority are either kidnapped, sold by family members or tricked into a system of debt-bondage. However a woman or child enters the industry they soon find themselves in a world where they are powerless; forced to live in filth and constant abuse.
Brothel owners break women and girls into submission in order to ensure that they obey their every word. Methods used include physical violence, rape, group rape, starvation, solitary confinement, threats of harm towards the victims’ families, threats of exposing what their sexual activities have been to friends and family, and more recently forced drug and alcohol use that leads to addiction.
On top of abuse by their captors, sex slaves face the risk of severe violence at the hands of the men who purchase sex with them. Sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS, syphilis, herpes, crabs, chlamydia, gonorrhea and pelvic inflammatory disease are common problems suffered by these women. Poor nutrition and hygiene along with unsanitary conditions are the norm in many of these brothels. These conditions can lead to risks of infection by diseases such as malaria or tuberculosis. The women and girls are also subject to pregnancy, which are often terminated. Beyond the physical risks of sexual slavery, many of these women and girls suffer psychologically. While scars and some diseases may be healed, the emotional scars last a lifetime for these women and may never be healed.
Reasons why men patronize these brothels include; sexual gratification, health myths concerning young girls, disrespect for women and a desire to violently dominate them, the desire for sex without a relationship, and is an outlet for their pedophilia. These reasons are highly variable and deserve further investigation. Perhaps by better understanding the demand side of sex trafficking and slavery a better approach can be developed to solving the problem.
Rather than taking a legal or education side to alleviate the problem, a more holistic approach must be endorsed. The Somaly Mam Foundation and AFESIP, both started by a previous sex slave, are NGO’s that have proven that by working with the victims, clients and government officials, success in putting an end to the sex slave industry is attainable. In order to end this grotesque practice several approaches must be used to tackle the problem; including, awareness, education, strong laws with harsh punishments and rehabilitation. The worldwide population as well as local men must be made aware the severity of the problem and what these women and children face on a daily basis. Then both men and women who participate in the sex industry should be educated about the risks that come with choosing that lifestyle for both themselves and others. Strong laws and penalties need to be enacted and vigorously enforced by local law enforcement and national governments. Finally, when women are finally rescued or able to leave willingly from these situations they must have the resources to be rehabilitated and eventually reintegrated into society with the skills, both emotional and technical, to be able to support themselves so as not to return to the brothels.
Biography: Mindi Seeman is a M.A. Candidate at East Carolina University in the Department of Anthropology. Her concentration is in both historic bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. Her thesis is the analysis of the skeletal remains excavated from the 19th century family burial vault at Foscue Plantation in Pollocksville, N.C, in order to create osteobiographies for eastern North Carolina antebellum plantation owners.