Trafficking and Prostitution in Thailand Essay

Sex trafficking is essentially systemic rape for profit. Force, fraud and coercion are used to control the victim’s behavior which may secure the appearance of consent to please the buyer (or john). Behind every transaction is violence or the threat of violence (Axtell par. 4). Just a decade ago, only a third of the countries studied by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had legislation against human trafficking. (Darker Side, par.1) Women, children, and even men are taken from their homes, and off of the streets and are brought into a life that is almost impossible to get out of. This life is not one of choice, it is in most times by force. UNODC estimates that the total international human trafficking is a

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to control victims for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or labor services against his/her will. (“Human Trafficking.”) Differing definitions of sex trafficking in state laws make it difficult to know if the studies on sex trafficking are including consensual, adult sex workers, who are not victims of trafficking under federal or international law in their numbers. Vulnerable Native American women and youth are targeted by traffickers more than any other ethnic group. The data collected for the “Shattered Hearts” report from 95 Native women and girls suggest that the trafficking of Native girls into prostitution is a significant, though rarely discussed as a problem. Still, the studies do suggest that sex trafficking of Native women and girls, specifically, is present in the United States. (“Shattered Hearts.”)

Nothing drives emotions out the window more than hearing about innocent children being used for sex. In Cambodia, sex trafficking has grown into a troublesome issue. Sex trafficking has become one of the fastest growing crimes occurring internationally. It is the third largest crime-business in the world, after drugs and arms trafficking. Women, girls, and even men and boys are victims of the billion-dollar sex trafficking industry. Sex trafficking occurs everywhere, and it is not culturally specific, but a gender specific issue. There are numerous cases of sex trafficking within Cambodia, however child sex trafficking is extremely captivating and distressing to learn about.

Women and children who are being sexually exploited are often found in the urban areas of Thailand, but even rural areas have a share of commercial sex workers (Lau, June 2008). The Thai society is extremely male dominated as men are considered superior to women and hold the government and societal power (Vejar & Quach, May 2013). Foreign investors have a great deal of power in Thailand as the country has become more dependent tourism and manufacturing rather than the traditional small farm economy (Geary & Meyer, June 1993).

This essay also focuses on the issues of child – sex trafficking. The study claimed that trafficking women especially children for sexual slavery is one the fastest growing common criminal and a social issue in the world. The study states that in the united states, almost 6 in 10 identified trafficking survivors were trafficked for sexual abuse. Out of that figure, 98% of the victims are female and 70% of it are children. This because the number of victims of sex trafficking is children, this may go as young as the age of eight. This is because children are easy targets when

“Thailand? Why would you take students to Thailand?” was the question posed when Florencio Ricohermoso, Middle School Math Teacher at Leland and Gray, first proposed leading a student trip to the exotic destination in Southeast Asia.

Human trafficking is prevalent throughout the world, especially in Asia and more specifically in China but the government and non-governmental organizations (NGO) are taking measures to put an end to it. Human trafficking involves exploitation of human beings; either sexually or by coercing them to work in unfavourable conditions for little pay or nothing at all. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines human trafficking as “the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.” Women and children, especially girls between the ages of fourteen and twenty constitute the majority of victims of human trafficking. “China is a source, transit and destination country

Vietnam has a high rate of human trafficking where women and children are most likely subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor within the country and across the globe. Victims of these crimes are collected through deceptive measures, such as false advertising or promises of a better life. Individuals who face poverty, women, children, and those with disabilities are the primary targets for

Human trafficking refers to the movement of persons across borders for forced labor, sexual exploitation or other illicit activities. Sex trafficking is the most lucrative sector of human trafficking America, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia. The global political economy, political corruption, human rights, gender and ethnic stratification, and migration are all related to human trafficking.

Imagine a four year old girl growing up in contemporary Cambodia. Each morning she wakes up miles from home, homesick and scared. She is forced to beg for money for the brothel that she belongs to, and all of her earnings go straight to her master. Then, that night, about seven men come to the brothel. These men, some as old as fifty, often pay as little as two dollars to partake in sexual intercourse with these school-aged children. The toddlers enslaved in the horrific sex trade are forever stripped of their purity, making human trafficking a major issue in present day Cambodia. Over 30,000 children are sexually exploited annually (“Children for Sale”), and millions have been forced into human trafficking

The small country of Cambodia has become a transit, source, and destination for child trafficking victims. There are many children going through Cambodia from Vietnam and Thailand as a result of child trafficking (“Human Trafficking” 2). In 2006 Cambodia was one of the busiest spots in the world for child trafficking, with many of those victims being delivered into the sex trade in Thailand, Malaysia, Macao and Taiwan (“Global Crime Case: The Modern Slave Trade” 1). Child trafficking is happening all over the country but t one place notorious is Svay Pak, a run-down village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh (“Children for Sale” 4). As tourists in Svay Pak you are bombarded by many young children assuming you are there for sex. Throughout the village there are many girls as young as nine who are for sale. As stated by the reporter Bob Mosier, “You have an 8-year old or 9-year-old little girl you know just looking at you smiling, realizing that you’re going to in just a few

From 1962 Thailand became a destination for sex tourism due to the affluence of American military personnel in the country. The military used to go there during the Vietnam War in order to rest and distract themselves. From then on Thailand became a land of origin, transit and destination for children trafficking. Nowadays the number of Thai children involved in the sex industry is decreasing as a result of legislation, economical and educational improvements, many children from neighboring border countries are being trafficked into Thailand, or ethnic tribes children trafficked within the country from the north. Thailand's efforts in the struggle against children sexual exploitation are made less effective because of difficulties in enforcing the law: cases of child sexual exploitation are not the main concern for police and there are complications in reporting cases to local authorities because of the language gap and corruption.

“Police and social workers say that more than 20,000 people are brought into the United States each year by exploitative labor traffickers and that at least half the victims are children” (Startribune, 2009, paragraph 1). This number only includes the definite amount of victims that authority figures have identified as victims. It does not take in account for all of the unreported victims which are currently working as slaves or even possibly deceased from being beaten to death. And, according to the Star Tribune, each year, more than 10,000 of these victims, trafficked into the United States, are children. So, how do more than 10,000 children find themselves trafficked to North America on yearly basis? In order to answer this question

The enormously high poverty rate, coupled with the crackdown on pedophilia in the western world makes Cambodia particularly vulnerable and child sex trafficking has become a lucrative way to exploit the country’s natural resources. One of the young girls featured in the film, Da-Lin, tells her story - “I sold my virginity to an old man for $500, I did it to help my family, my parents were sick and my brothers and sisters are young and had to go to school, my virginity was the only thing of value we had” (2:15). Another young girl explains how she suffered a stroke due to the abuse she endured. The stories go on and on, young children sold as child sex workers by their husbands, boyfriends, friends and family members. They cannot seek help from the authorities for fear of imprisonment, and they face exile from their villages due to shame.

Cambodia’s turbulent political history and degradation of society have largely contributed to the high prevalence of trafficking within the state. Women and children are especially vulnerable within Cambodian society. Women are often viewed as inferior and not fit for holding high positions in politics and business. As a result, women face even more difficulty