Safeguarding the welfare of Thai women and children is a national priority for the Government of Thailand.
Of particular concern to the Royal Thai Government is the exploitation of children for the purpose of commercial sex. Young girls and boys too often are lured or forced into working in brothels and other sexually oriented establishments by profiteers.
While child prostitution is hardly unique to Thailand, its existence is repugnant to the Thai people. Thai society and culture are based on close family ties and religious values that are in direct conflict with the forced exploitation of individuals-- particularly children--for sexual or any other purpose.
A GROWING PROBLEM
Child prostitution is a growing problem worldwide. In Asia alone, according to experts on the subject, more than one million young boys and girls are engaged in commercial sexual activity. And indications are that in every part of the world the number of children being harmed in this way is growing. Child prostitutes are found in virtually every country, including the United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. There is an apparent increasing demand, globally; part of it fed by the fear of AIDS and the naive belief that younger sex partners are free of disease.
NEW INITIATIVES IN THAILAND
Prostitution is illegal in Thailand. Nevertheless, like all crime, it exists. Sexual contact with minors is a criminal offense; sexual intercourse with a minor is statutory rape and is punishable by imprisonment.
In 1996, Thai laws were strengthened by new legislation which significantly increased the penalties for those caught engaging in sex with a minor. The law targets customers, procurers, pimps, and owners and operators of brothels as well as parents who sell their children to profiteers. The Thai law also provides for prison terms of up to ten years and heavy fines for anyone convicted of being involved in international commercial sex trade. The new legislation also eased restrictions on the police, making it easier for them to enter and search suspected brothels and make arrests.
The Royal Thai Government also works closely with government and law enforcement agencies in other countries and with international organizations to attack the problem from the outside. Part of these efforts is aimed at preventing known sex offenders and publishers of pornography from entering Thailand. The Government also monitors the activities of tour agents abroad who promote "sex tours", in an attempt to prevent their customers from entering the country.
Foreign nationals are not exempt from Thai law. Those who engage in sexual activity with minors are subject to arrest and imprisonment. The Thai police have stepped up surveillance of suspected child molesters and have made numerous arrests resulting in convictions and long-term prison sentences.
Information is now disseminated to all tourists visiting Thailand advising them of the law and the penalties for violating it.
GETTING AT THE ROOT CAUSES
Poverty is probably the most important factor contributing to the growth of child prostitution. Children offer themselves or, in some cases, are sold for sex in return for money. In developing countries particularly, the lack of viable economic opportunities, particularly in rural areas, combined with rising expectations and the desire to acquire modern goods, contributes to the potential for exploitation.
To counter this, the Royal Thai Government has taken initiatives which are designed to provide training and economic opportunities to youngsters who may be tempted or lured into prostitution. To reach these vulnerable children, the Department of Public Welfare has opened vocational training centers in every region of the country. These centers, aimed particularly at young women, provide job skills training and other services to more than 5,000 annually.
The Department also distributes information to households throughout the country, alerting parents to the dangers of prostitution and the scams employed by procurers and "recruiters".
Additional government efforts are aimed at locating women and children who have been forced into prostitution and assisting former prostitutes. Rehabilitation shelters, run by the Department of Public Welfare, offer counselling and vocational training for some 1,200 former prostitutes each year.
Nor is the Government alone in these efforts.
End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT) is an international organization, founded in 1991, with headquarters in Thailand. The organization's goal is to eradicate child prostitution worldwide. It has launched a four-part action plan that has had remarkable results in just five years. The core of ECPAT's plan is lobbying governments to persuade them to enact laws protecting children. The group then works to make sure the laws are enforced. Further, ECPAT works with rural leaders to convince parents not to sell their children into prostitution. The organization also campaigns to dissuade tourists from the sexual exploitation of children and publishes the names of foreign pedophiles found in Asian countries.
ECPAT has convinced several countries to adopt new extra-territoriality laws that permit prosecution of citizens who sexually abuse children in another country. Under these laws, foreign visitors from Germany, Australia, Sweden, France and the U.S., for example, can now be convicted in those countries, for using a child prostitute while "on vacation" in Thailand.
Other major non-governmental organizations tackling the problem of child prostitution include: UNICEF, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the World Tourism Organization.
The Center for the Protection of Children's Rights, an international human rights group, disseminates information to parents in poor, rural areas about the horrors suffered by children that are sold into prostitution. This group uses print, radio and television as well as staff visits to rural villages to deliver its messages.
The Thai Business Initiative in Rural Development (TBIRD) is an organization that encourages businesses to create job opportunities in remote areas.
