Phnom Penh Post, Issue 16 / 05, March 9 - 22, 2007
The hunt for child-sex offenders begins in front of the Royal Palace, leads to the lawn of Hun Sen Park, and winds up under the lights of Phnom Penh's riverside carnival.
It's about 10 pm in the city; and the backdrop of balloons - of teddy bears, candy bars and kiddie rides - make for a difficult place to define the line between the honorable and the inhumane.
But for 37-year-old social worker Map, it's his job.
The Phnom Penh native and father of two works as a field investigator for child protection NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE). Five days a week, from 5 pm to midnight, he shadows Western men who are under APLE investigations for child sex abuse.
It's a life of hidden cameras, false identities and detective work. Part sleuth and part spy, Map is part of a network of field monitors and investigation teams meant to provide "street presence" in the battle against child sex abuse.
They don't make arrests, but collect crucial evidence for the courts and police and maintain a web of informants, look-outs and assistants.
"The sex offenders are changing their modus operandi," said Katherine Keane, APLE country director. "They're becoming more aware and increasingly using intermediaries. So we've changed accordingly.
"Our network includes children themselves, ex-pats, social workers, hotel staff. They report what they believe to be suspicious behavior. When we feel we have enough evidence, we ring the police and then they get involved. Sometimes we monitor for quite a long time: some cases take two hours, some take two months."
APLE is one of many NGOs working with the government to thwart child sex abuse. Funded originally by Spanish humanitarian organization Global Humanitaria, APLE was founded in France in 1994 and came to Cambodia in 2003. The organization works in partnership with the Department of Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection and the Juvenile Protection Unit of the Phnom Penh Municipal Anti-Human Trafficking police.
"We been able to successfully crack down on pedophilia because we have good people and NGOs such as APLE that provide us with information," said Than Phanith, chief of the juvenile protection unit of the Phnom Penh municipal anti-human trafficking police bureau, on March 7.
"APLE have their own investigators on pedophilia. The information provided by APLE is very useful and most of the cases provided by APLE we pursue. After APLE provided us with evidence, we go immediately to the place to arrest the assailant. But before we arrest them we also do more research at the scene in order to know clearly whether the victim is really a child under 15 years old or not."
Map, and the 12 other APLE investigators, work two shifts: day and night. They stalk suspects or slink around "active" areas where large numbers of children are targets for abuse.
Map's best ruse is to pose as an over-friendly moto-driver. It's common, he says, to feign friendship with suspects in order to glean information. He said he once shared dinner with a man who was later arrested based on evidence he provided. Although the majority of child-sex offenders in Cambodia are not Westerners (Oung Chanthol, executive director of the Cambodian Women's Crisis Center, estimates less than one percent of sex crimes by foreigners) they are APLE's priority.
"Street-based child sex offenders tend to be Western men," Keane said. "Child-sex offenders from Asian nations, especially virginity seekers, come to Cambodia, but tend to stay in establishments: private clubs, karaoke parlors. Cambodians commit abuses in their own communities. It can be a step-father or a friend of a family. We don't work just on street-based sex, but to our knowledge we are the only one whose major focus is on street-based child-sex offenders."
On the night Map takes the Post out to track "Jimmy" - an alleged sexual predator who's been under investigation for over a month. The suspect is found at the carnival with two young girls, but his actions appear to be fatherly and kind. According to Map, he's become very close to the girls' mother and there is still not enough evidence to present to his supervisor. As the night ends, the suspect lifts the girls into a tuk-tuk and heads off into the night.
"We don't know if the suspect is a good man or a bad man," Map said. "There's no typical physical type for these pedophiles, but there is typical behavior. Normally, a sex offender will exhibit a lot of physical contact and buy gifts, clothes or toys. But it's still difficult, because this same behavior can be done by a good person."
Distinguishing truly benevolent behavior from evil is the most difficult part of the job, Map said. And Keane is adamant that cases only go forward if there is an obviously sinister element. Investigators receive the same monthly pay whether they lead to arrests or not.
"We don't have to create cases; I would say there's enough bad guys to create cases," Keane said. "We act as support for the police. There are checks and balances in place. For example, we don't handle arrests or convictions. We hand them over to the police - and offer an initial support group."
And although angered, at times, by the grim realities of the Cambodian sex trade, Keane says APLE is not a punitive endeavor.
"We enforce the law. We don't beat people up. We have to put emotions aside, we do this work because it makes us angry - but you must translate that passion into development of the law - not into crucifying people," she said. "Overall, things are improving. Cambodia is less and less a haven for child-sex offenders - the police and courts are doing their job in this area. The court system is still not fixed, but with in law enforcement and some parts of the judiciary the will is improving."
For additional information about APLE Cambodia, click here.
It's about 10 pm in the city; and the backdrop of balloons - of teddy bears, candy bars and kiddie rides - make for a difficult place to define the line between the honorable and the inhumane.
But for 37-year-old social worker Map, it's his job.
The Phnom Penh native and father of two works as a field investigator for child protection NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE). Five days a week, from 5 pm to midnight, he shadows Western men who are under APLE investigations for child sex abuse.
It's a life of hidden cameras, false identities and detective work. Part sleuth and part spy, Map is part of a network of field monitors and investigation teams meant to provide "street presence" in the battle against child sex abuse.
They don't make arrests, but collect crucial evidence for the courts and police and maintain a web of informants, look-outs and assistants.
"The sex offenders are changing their modus operandi," said Katherine Keane, APLE country director. "They're becoming more aware and increasingly using intermediaries. So we've changed accordingly.
"Our network includes children themselves, ex-pats, social workers, hotel staff. They report what they believe to be suspicious behavior. When we feel we have enough evidence, we ring the police and then they get involved. Sometimes we monitor for quite a long time: some cases take two hours, some take two months."
APLE is one of many NGOs working with the government to thwart child sex abuse. Funded originally by Spanish humanitarian organization Global Humanitaria, APLE was founded in France in 1994 and came to Cambodia in 2003. The organization works in partnership with the Department of Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection and the Juvenile Protection Unit of the Phnom Penh Municipal Anti-Human Trafficking police.
"We been able to successfully crack down on pedophilia because we have good people and NGOs such as APLE that provide us with information," said Than Phanith, chief of the juvenile protection unit of the Phnom Penh municipal anti-human trafficking police bureau, on March 7.
"APLE have their own investigators on pedophilia. The information provided by APLE is very useful and most of the cases provided by APLE we pursue. After APLE provided us with evidence, we go immediately to the place to arrest the assailant. But before we arrest them we also do more research at the scene in order to know clearly whether the victim is really a child under 15 years old or not."
Map, and the 12 other APLE investigators, work two shifts: day and night. They stalk suspects or slink around "active" areas where large numbers of children are targets for abuse.
Map's best ruse is to pose as an over-friendly moto-driver. It's common, he says, to feign friendship with suspects in order to glean information. He said he once shared dinner with a man who was later arrested based on evidence he provided. Although the majority of child-sex offenders in Cambodia are not Westerners (Oung Chanthol, executive director of the Cambodian Women's Crisis Center, estimates less than one percent of sex crimes by foreigners) they are APLE's priority.
"Street-based child sex offenders tend to be Western men," Keane said. "Child-sex offenders from Asian nations, especially virginity seekers, come to Cambodia, but tend to stay in establishments: private clubs, karaoke parlors. Cambodians commit abuses in their own communities. It can be a step-father or a friend of a family. We don't work just on street-based sex, but to our knowledge we are the only one whose major focus is on street-based child-sex offenders."
On the night Map takes the Post out to track "Jimmy" - an alleged sexual predator who's been under investigation for over a month. The suspect is found at the carnival with two young girls, but his actions appear to be fatherly and kind. According to Map, he's become very close to the girls' mother and there is still not enough evidence to present to his supervisor. As the night ends, the suspect lifts the girls into a tuk-tuk and heads off into the night.
"We don't know if the suspect is a good man or a bad man," Map said. "There's no typical physical type for these pedophiles, but there is typical behavior. Normally, a sex offender will exhibit a lot of physical contact and buy gifts, clothes or toys. But it's still difficult, because this same behavior can be done by a good person."
Distinguishing truly benevolent behavior from evil is the most difficult part of the job, Map said. And Keane is adamant that cases only go forward if there is an obviously sinister element. Investigators receive the same monthly pay whether they lead to arrests or not.
"We don't have to create cases; I would say there's enough bad guys to create cases," Keane said. "We act as support for the police. There are checks and balances in place. For example, we don't handle arrests or convictions. We hand them over to the police - and offer an initial support group."
And although angered, at times, by the grim realities of the Cambodian sex trade, Keane says APLE is not a punitive endeavor.
"We enforce the law. We don't beat people up. We have to put emotions aside, we do this work because it makes us angry - but you must translate that passion into development of the law - not into crucifying people," she said. "Overall, things are improving. Cambodia is less and less a haven for child-sex offenders - the police and courts are doing their job in this area. The court system is still not fixed, but with in law enforcement and some parts of the judiciary the will is improving."
For additional information about APLE Cambodia, click here.
3 comments:
My fellow khmers..
it's just hearsay that DOGS and CATs around TONLE SAP region,NEAKLOEUNG(prey veng),and around PHNOM PENH were mysteriously disappeared for some reasons.Any ideas?....
Hmmm, I think your mom and dad have killed and ate them.
Kill all these evil doers white men! Shower them with gasoline and set them on fire! Or simply remove their testicals & penises so they can become women and then force them to be raped by white gay men who have HIV or AIDS.
To all dirty white men, Cambodia doesn't welcome you. If you want to have sex with minors, do it to your sons or daughters. You're the most dirty and disgusting human being known on this planet. Please do humanity a favor, kill yourselves.
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