Jun 3, 2008
DPA
Phnom Penh - Dozens of sex worker representatives will meet in the capital to protest the implementation of new laws which make brothels illegal, the groups involved said Tuesday.
Scores of sex workers have been rounded up and dozens of brothels closed since the government recently invoked new laws which workers say unfairly equate consensual sex with human trafficking.
Some male patrons have also been detained and 're-educated.'
The groups say they will appeal directly to Prime Minister Hun Sen to modify the laws, claiming to have been unfairly targeted in the country's moral crackdown which has seen everything from skimpy dresses on television to adultery outlawed in recent years.
Once notorious for its sex trade and known as a haven for perverts and child molesters, Cambodia has made a concerted effort to change this reputation, arresting dozens of men for sex crimes and now attacking the country's thriving flesh trade.
But sex worker groups say the crackdown is only forcing women into the streets or the karaoke bars often used as fronts for prostitution and away from access to health care and education.
Interior Ministry anti-trafficking chief Bith Kimhong was unrepentant, saying the crackdown will continue.
'It is a difficult job because when we shut one, another just opens up, but I will continue to investigate each one, and when we have the evidence, we will continue to close them, because they affect the honour of Cambodia,' he said by telephone.
The sex worker representatives said they would meet on Wednesday, one day before Interior Minister Sar Kheng is due to join a global conference call on anti-trafficking with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to a US embassy press release Tuesday.
Scores of sex workers have been rounded up and dozens of brothels closed since the government recently invoked new laws which workers say unfairly equate consensual sex with human trafficking.
Some male patrons have also been detained and 're-educated.'
The groups say they will appeal directly to Prime Minister Hun Sen to modify the laws, claiming to have been unfairly targeted in the country's moral crackdown which has seen everything from skimpy dresses on television to adultery outlawed in recent years.
Once notorious for its sex trade and known as a haven for perverts and child molesters, Cambodia has made a concerted effort to change this reputation, arresting dozens of men for sex crimes and now attacking the country's thriving flesh trade.
But sex worker groups say the crackdown is only forcing women into the streets or the karaoke bars often used as fronts for prostitution and away from access to health care and education.
Interior Ministry anti-trafficking chief Bith Kimhong was unrepentant, saying the crackdown will continue.
'It is a difficult job because when we shut one, another just opens up, but I will continue to investigate each one, and when we have the evidence, we will continue to close them, because they affect the honour of Cambodia,' he said by telephone.
The sex worker representatives said they would meet on Wednesday, one day before Interior Minister Sar Kheng is due to join a global conference call on anti-trafficking with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to a US embassy press release Tuesday.
13 comments:
Bith Kimhong you shit head dare you to catch actions at Spack of Hun Mana the mother of hooker or a Rock of Ah Kith Meng the pimp or Holyday Inn of ah Meng Sreng the drug dealer?
who is brothel owner? Bun rany?
:p
hey, hey mr., no double standard or special rights for anyone! if no, no for all! nobody is above the law in cambodia. thank you.
That's Hun Xen's laws.
Nothing is perfect, but there is still an improvement. The bottom line is there will be much less brothels. Therefore, we are moving in the right direction. Vote #4 to maintain this course.
12:51AM NOT BUNARY THE FIRST DAUGTHER OF BUNARY HUN XEN WHO OWN SPARK THE PLACE YOU CAN FIND HOOKER WITH NO HARASHEMENT FROM HOK LANDY CORP!
OH!SHE IS HOK LANDY DAUGTHER INLAW!
You mean Hun Xen'family try to manipulate hooker bussiness?
They didn't award PM Phds for nothing.
This freaking Viet-born troller, a parasite @ 3:06 AM that pretends to be Khmer and speaks as if he were Khmer must be castrated and have his dick fed to the Viet dog...
Viet Go home!
The world sees and knows you Viet true color already and that is the universal language!
1. Prostitution is a shameful job.
2.But Prostitution had existed for thousand years, since the early stage of Human existence.
3. Even in the rich Countries, Prostitution is still going on.
4. In Our Country if you Close Brothels, those poor girls will keep doing their "job" Underground and you could not control them. And then AIDS will spread Countrywide.
5. So It will be a Suicide if you ban this shameful business, which is the Prostitution. How could we do? Be realistic!
I can confirm that several brothels that are still open and have never been raided are owned by or under the protection of the police
So what? Cambodia is not the only place like that. As long we got most of them shut down. That is a big accomplishment already.
it is shameful to be a prostitute, however, please understand that it is the oldest profession in the world, though and is not unique to cambodia, although, i'm sure khmer people in their right mind do not like it a bit. well, as always, thanks to the stupid, idiot KR regime, everyone is just trying to make a living and trying to survive as people had suffered many losses. please try to understand that because it helps for someone to understand what people are doing the way they do. sometimes, they don't want to do it, but personal circumstance may force them to go into this profession so they can survive because not everyone is lucky enough to afford luxury. thank you.
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