Make Way for a New Growth Industry

[Kire]

Cambodia, Where Sex Traffickers Are King
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: January 15, 2005

HNOM PENH, Cambodia

Sex trafficking at its worst is the slavery of the 21st century, yet it has become one of the world's growth industries. To understand how brazen it is, step up to the second floor of the Chai Hour II Hotel here in the Cambodian capital.

It's like an aquarium: beyond a glass wall are dozens of teenage girls in skimpy white outfits, each with a number. The customer orders a girl by number, and the manager delivers her a moment later to a private room.

A Cambodian police report in my hands describes the Chai Hour II as a case "of confinement of human beings for commercial sex" and adds that it is also "a place for trafficking/sale of virgin girls." All told, the report says, 250 girls and women work in the six-floor labyrinth of cubicles.

So last month, Cambodia's top-ranking female police officer ordered a raid on the Chai Hour II and rescued 83 girls. They were taken to a shelter run by Afesip, an aid group mainly financed by Spain.

But the next day, the trafficking tycoons turned the tables and raided the shelter. About 30 raiders, some wearing military clothing and at least one driving a car with military license plates, broke down the shelter gate, beat up one woman on the staff and took all the girls back to the brothel.

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/15/opinion/15kristof.html?oref=login&th

[imenja]

1. the very worst is the sex trafficking in children

Pedophilia has to be, in my opinion, the greatest of all sins (or transgressions, which ever you like).

Kire, I have a question. Your profile says you are male, yet your icon is a female one. Care to share your reasons for choosing that avatar?

[Kire]

2. That's Miss Sunbeam.

Of Sunbeam Bread company. Probably number 2 makers of White Bread where I live. The model also happens to be my Aunt Joan. Her picture is plastered on trucks and billboards all over New Jersey (and I guess some other places, too)

Thanks for asking.

Edit: She's been a pre-school teacher for 30 years, I hate to ask her what she thinks about this article.

[tomreedtoon]

3. Promoted on "Business Week" in the US...

There's always this nice ad for Malasia tourism in the program "Business Week: Money Talks." It shows people diving into emerald green seas - of course, rich young Republican suck-ups on yachts.

The ad's tag line is "Malasia - it's real Asia."

I always thought it should be "Malasia - We're not just about child sex tourism any more."

[2Design]

4. are these the family values republicans want - it seems

rempant in the south - you always see the signs for the girl dancers in the south - not much up north - must be a southerner republican thing - if they can think it, do it, or have it at home, their daughters serve it up in the girl dance bars :):):):)