The second article I chose for my research paper is Understanding the Complexities of Responding to Child Sex Trafficking in Thailand and Cambodia. According to the researcher Davy (2014), child sex trafficking takes place in all Southeast Asian countries. There are higher numbers of child trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. This includes countries such as Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. The reason for such increase of trafficking is due to the high demand of child brides, cheap labor, child porn, etc. Child vulnerability also plays a key role. In the article, Davy (2014) mentions that a common practice in Southeast Asian countries is debt bondage. Parents who owe others money, sell their children to pay off their debt. These children can be eventfully turned over to recruiters, entering the vicious cycle of sex trafficking.
Davy (2014) mentions that Cambodia is one of the most affected countries when it comes to child sex trafficking. Due to pervious war conflict and its growing sex sector. After the Khmer Rouge period in Cambodia, populations under 20 years old found it difficult to find stable jobs. This helped induce human trafficking within the country. Davy (2014) also credits “the rapid infusion of foreigners with large sums of money that followed the entrance of both UN military forces and civilian officials…” to the increase in sex trafficking. Cambodia is known as a destination for sex with children. About 51% of Cambodian girls lost their virginity to a tourist (Davy, 2014). Virgin girls are in high demand. Girls as young as five years old have been said to be working within the sex industry (Davy, 2014).
In Thailand, there has been a long history of human trafficking as well. Davy (2014) makes it a point to refer back to its history. “In Lanna Thai history, the king owned all farmland and if the people were unable to pay their taxes or owed any other debt they could choose to place themselves, their wives, their children or their junior kind in debt bondage” (Davy 2014). The sex industry increased rapidly due to the Vietnam war. There was a huge influx of soldiers in the surrounding areas. With war comes economic hardship. People found it hard to be financially stable and turned to the sex industry. This has continued to what is seen currently in Thailand. While there have been laws put in place to combat human trafficking, laws are not fully enforced. Traffickers have been known to buy their way out of punishment.
There have been many Non-Governmental Organizations that have been committed to fighting against human trafficking. For example, the UN Inter-Agency Project on Trafficking (UNIAP). This NGO seeks to implement programs which include to protect and provide rehabilitation for victims while also trying to hold governments accountable.
Davy, D. (2014). Understanding the complexities of responding to child sex trafficking in Thailand and Cambodia. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 34(11/12), 793-816. doi:10.1108/ijssp-10-2013-0103