Please register, and you will get it every month. Cambodian sex workers wait for customers at a public park in Phnom Penh. The latest trend seems to be sexual abuse of children in Cambodian orphanages. Male perpetrators, in the guise of tourists or volunteers, get easy access to underage girls and boys. Several cases of this sort were uncovered in the past years. Cambodia has long been a destination for male sex tourists from Asia and western countries.
Prostitution, although prohibited by law, is rampant all over the country and especially visible at the touristic hotspots. Whether in Siem Reap, the gateway to the famous temples of Angkor, in the capital Phnom Penh or the resort town of Sihanoukville, girls are readily available. They work in karaoke bars, massage salons and on the streets.
The newspaper Cambodia Daily quoted tourism minister Thong Khon as saying that there are adult entertainment venues across the country employing more than 11, workers. Not all of them are sex workers, of course. More than one in four establishments are unlicensed, according to the report, so the government does not regulate them.
The statistics do not inspire confidence. Most prostitutes come from the poor Cambodian countryside, but some are from neighbouring countries like Vietnam. Prostitution in Cambodia is cheap. It is said that women sell themselves for as little as five dollars. Cheap and easy access to prostitutes is one of the reasons why the industry is on the rise in Cambodia. One in three prostitutes is under 18 Both sex tourists and local men demand underage girls and boys.
Human trafficking is a big problem. The US State Department, however, reports that some children engage in prostitution without third party involvement. They are driven by the need to survive. The country has the dubious reputation of being a heaven for paedophiles. It is enough to ask a tuk tuk driver, guest house owner or waiter for a little girl or boy.
