Child Sex Tourism (CST) in Sri Lanka

Recently the Sri Lankan Tourist Board & UNICEF launched the ‘Zero Tolerance for Child Sex Tourism’ campaign in Sri Lanka.

CST rarely happens cos a ‘tourist’ looking for sex happen upon a child & offers him/her a gift in return for the favour – though it apparently does. It’s a wide-scale problem cos of the commercial nature it has taken – a ‘business’ run by a person ‘employing’ children & selling them off with a tidy commission for himself. There are even employees to ‘market’ the children. Apparently there are websites where paedophiles can actually ‘order’ children –by colour, height, age–I can’t verify that at this point though. There isn’t much that gets more twisted than this!

SL Stats: 100,000 children (6-14 yrs) are kept in brothels; an additional 5,000 children (10-18 years) work in tourist areas. (Sourced NCMEC)

The ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaigns through TV/radio ads(see pic), billboards, banners, car stickers, flyers, in-flight mags & disembarkation cards which publicize the msg. Well, kudos for the initiative. But, is it enough?

To see these ads, banners, etc one must already be in SL; to see the in-flight magazines one must already be in-flight! Would a paedophile read the notice & get off the flight or take a return flight back or just be extra careful? It is an underground trade after all! And how many peoples would arrive for a sunny holiday & suddenly be tempted to use a child for sex?

Realistically, without the poverty issue being resolved it’s unlikely there’ll be a significant change. CST is an underground trade – and will continue to be so. Skills training is catching around fast so there is hope!

Other Do-ables:

1. A tip-off system – tip offs to authorities who act IMMEDIATELY

2. Ban paedophiles. How? Stamping a holiday visa on arrival may encourage tourism, but it also encourages convicted paedophiles (either in their native countries or elsewhere). Technology which link international offender databases do exist. Scan a passport – scroll down past sexual offences – & wave him bye-bye!

3. Most importantly – empowering children. As Yasmin Haque (SL Unicef) said– “We…hope…the children…are able to say ‘no’…that they feel safe in saying ‘no’ to being pulled into the sex industry.” (my emphasis)

The ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign needs to be commended for drawing attention to the issue. But we need MORE. Fast. Where are the funds? How about the private sector?

How much would it cost SL to gain access to such technology?

How much would it cost SL in the loss of childhoods? In traumatized future generations?

Must we sell our children to boost our economy?

Papers due..aarrrrrrgggghhhhhh!

Sorry, there won’t be much blogging in the coming few days.. 2 papers due on Monday!!

aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!

Another Sri Lankan First!!

An hour ago AlertNet reported this:

“Long associated with sectarian violence in the Middle East, the suicide attack has been refined by Sri Lanka’s secularist Tamil Tiger rebels into a sophisticated weapon of war.

Analysts generally agree that the Tigers pioneered the use of the concealed suicide bomb vest — a technology now used to deadly effect across the world.

‘There is no doubt about it, they have perfected the art of the suicide bomb,’ said one Western diplomat.

‘Security experts say the Tamils have adapted the strategy to battles on land and, most notably, at sea, where suicide “swarm tactics” against the Sri Lankan navy have been highly effective.

A survey of suicide attacks worldwide between 1980 and 2003 found that 24 percent were the work of the Tigers, outpacing such Middle Eastern armed movements as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.” (My emphasis)

Another Sri Lankan FIRST!!

Painting:
The Scream,
Edvard Munch

Finally!!

AND I’ve finally updated my profile!!

I forgot to be eclectic!! ;o)

You know what I realized today?? This blog, since of late, has become more politically-oriented and not at all eclectic as I had intended!!

Oh, what tragedy!

Henceforth, I shall endeavour to keep future posts as eclectic as possible!

(ok, you can stop celebrating now)

AND I got that book of short stories (The Banana Tree Crisis) yesterday! Await my review (unbiased I promise!!)!