Economist article, sexual trafficki

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Subject: Economist article, sexual trafficking/Burmese women & children (fwd)


"The Slaves from Myanmar"

The Thai government hates its country being labelled the sex
paradise of Asia, when, as everyone knows, visitors only want to
admire the temples and lie on the beaches.  This week it received
an especially nasty blow to its self-esteem when Asia Watch, an
American-based human-rights group, said the government was turning
a blind eye to the traffic in women and girls brought from Myanmar
(Burma) to Thailand for forced prostitution.

According to the group's report, "A Modern Form of Slavery",
village girls are lured to Thailand by the promise of jobs as
maids, cooks, waitresses and laundresses, often with a cash payment
to their parents.  Myanmar, as well as being a dictatorship, is
poor, and the prospect of working in relatively rich Thailand
sounds great.  Once inside Thailand, the women are put into
brothels and beaten if they refuse to service clients.  Many have
contracted AIDS.

The strict border controls that, in theory, exist between Thailand
and Myanmar are evaded by corrupt police on both sides, according
to Asia Watch.  Despite "clear evidence of direct official
involvement in every stage of the trafficking process", Asia Watch
says that, to its knowledge, no Thai officer has been prosecuted,
except in one highly publicized case of murder.

It is reckoned that some 20,000 women from Myanmar are at present
in Thai brothels, with 10,000 new recruits each year.  The total
number of prostitutes in Thailand is put at between 800,000 and 2
million.  In 1992 the prime minister, Chuan Leekpai, said the
government was cracking down on forced and child prostitution, but
not on prostitution in general.  "I won't talk about what is
impossible" he said.  Many Thai men as well as foreigners,
patronise the brothels.  According to one survey, 75% of Thai men
have had sex with a prostitute.

Replying to the criticisms, the government said the "restructuring"
of the police force now taking place would help to reduce
prostitution.  But Asia Watch wants thorough reforms to Thailand's
prostitution and trafficking laws.  That might not have much
effect.  Prostitution is illegal in Thailand.