Background: Prostitution in Thailand
Prepared by Patrick Domingo
The experience that Siri has gone through, although dreadful, is far from uncommon. Unfortunately, this type of experience happens worldwide, in virtually every country, regardless of its socioeconomic condition. The specific justice issue that we will be exploring is prostitution in Thailand. Thailand has a notorious reputation for being a big supplier in the sex trade. It exports many of its women and children to other countries via human trafficking, and helps fuel a market that is "the second largest black-market in the world"(Cotter 493) behind drugs. Because prostitution is such a worldwide epidemic, my partner and I have focused on Thailand due to the practicality of obtaining accurate statistics and research, which gives us a stronger argument. By focusing on this particular demographic, we are able to assess and give specific, real-world examples that will enable us to set realistic goals and action steps in combatting this injustice.
The injustice is seen in the treatment of women, who are being treated as a commodity, a cash-crop that is bought, sold, and traded. This is more of an injustice on a global level because it involves other nations, specifically third world countries and underdeveloped nations. With the worldwide expansion of the sex industry, there have been increased reports of the kidnapping of children on a global scale. According to Gallagher, "in Thailand, gangs watch for women or children who can be snatched or drugged for shipment to brothels"(Gallagher 72). Gallagher also quotes Harvard Economist Amartyra Sen in saying "in Asia, there are 100 million women 'missing'(Gallagher 85). We can see that this is an injustice because brothels and gangs force women and children against their will to become involved in the sex trade.
Another injustice can be seen through the treatment of children, who are taken advantage of at an early age, which affects their physical, emotional, and psychological development. We know this because "according to the U.S. State Department, each year more than two million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade"(Cotter, 493). According to Gallagher, "one-third of all child prostitutes in Asia are HIV-positive"(Gallagher 45). We can see that this is an injustice because children are easily being taken advantage of while they are still developing and are not able to fend for themselves. With most of the children in the sex industry coming from poverty and their families in desperation, they sometimes have no choice but to become involved in prostitution to simply make ends meet. According to Gallagher, children are taken from places like "Bangkok to Malaysia" and "Singapore"(45) and are sold off to the "United States, Europe, and Australia"(45).
We can see another injustice in the wages and the whole economic cycle of the sex trade. Cotter says that the annual income from the sex industry between 1993 and 1995 was "$22.5 billion to $27 billion"(Cotter 497). The suppliers in the industry tend to provide promise of work to these girls, who are usually in poverty and in need of work. In order to keep their sex slaves, brothels and pimps usually put their girls and their children into debt, and they make their prostitutes work the debt off. Gallagher points out that "these debts are arranged to the children are never able to pay them off and so continue for years as sex slaves"(Gallagher 45). According to Cotter, quoting INTERPOL "a woman can bring in from $75,000 to $250,000 per year" and "children often bring more money because" of "their virginity" (Cotter 497). That is a huge return relative to the expenses coupled with running and maintaining a brothel, which in Thailand costs "$2.00 to $3.20 a day per prostitute for food and $8-$16 a day in bribes to the police," according to Cotter who quotes Bales (497).
There is not just one person to blame since there are many participants that fuel the inner workings of the sex trade. Brothels and pimps who profit off of the sexually exploited women and children can be held responsible, however. Brothels are usually the way in which the suppliers run their business, but according to Ford and Koetsawang, due to "closures of sex establishments by local authorities, there has been a trend away from direct formats (brothels) to more indirect ones (massage parlours, restaurants, go-go bars)"(Ford and Koetsawang 1). This makes it much harder to track an underground sex operation and gives them a very high chance of success. By economically exploiting women and children and making huge returns while providing horrible living conditions and overall treatment, the brothels and pimps can be seen as causing the harm. Another cause of harm can be seen in police compliance and the governments who don't enforce the law and often "look the other way"(Cotter 496). They are usually paid through bribes and accept those bribes because they are hardly being paid at all. As Americans, we also play an important role in the perpetuation of the sex trade. According to Cotter, "around one-fourth of the 240 tourists who sexually abused and exploited children in Asia between 1991 and 1996...were American child sex tourists"(494). As apparent as it is, this is definitely a multi-faceted industry, where so many people are involved in continuing this cycle, and with their involvement, also comes their responsibility.
The social systems involved include the illusion of money and making ends' meet for women and children, and the promise of pleasure and sex for the consumers. Since sex is prized and valued in our society today, it lures many people to the point where they would pay for it. This is very much a demand-focused industry, which caters to the customer. According to Bales, quoted by Cotter, a girl can have between "ten and eighteen clients for $50-$90 each"(497). It is apparent that this industry is run just like any other industry, which aims to keep expenses low and profits as high as possible, but the ethics and the morality that also plays into it make it a very hard and complex issue to combat. What keeps the general public of Thailand from recognizing the systems as part of the problem can include "modernization" and "a new pressure for consumer goods"(Cotter 496). Due to the influence of the developed nations on the third world countries, "the rationale behind a family selling their daughter" is "changing"(496). According to Cotter, "the sale of a daughter might buy a new television set"(496). We can see that the social system of consumerism plays a vital role in stimulating this industry and convincing families to sell their children for material goods.
Cotter quotes former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, as calling sex tourism "the worst kind of human exploitation imaginable"(504). The response of people on the outside have shown that their attempts to combat prostitution can be possible, but only through "global legal cooperation"(Cotter 504). The sex industry is being combatted "globally, nationally, and locally"(504) but the legalities "can be complex, incomplete, and difficult to orchestrate"(504). Cotter calls for governments to enforce "current laws" and strengthen "these laws legislatively"(505), as well as encouraging "NGOs" to "fortify their international cooperative action and organize their grassroots efforts"(505). Some laws in the United States help combat sex tourism, laws like the "Trafficking Victims Protection Act"(505) which gives U.S. the right "to impose sanctions and withhold non-essential foreign aid for those countries that fail...to eliminate trafficking in their countries"(505) and also the "PROTECT Act" which increases "penalties to a maximum of thirty years in prison"(507). There are also international efforts such as the "ECPAT International"(510) which is "a global network of organizations and individuals working together to end child prostitution, child pornography, and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes"(510). We can see that efforts are being put on a national and international level.
Prostitution and the sex industry have many factors that depend on one another, making it a very complex industry to combat and deal with, but basic knowledge of the economic system and the infrastructure of such an organization is key to learning where to exploit this injustice. The time for action is now. With countless women and children given false dreams and hopes of making money, instead being sucked into this vicious cycle and never given a fighting chance. The government and even the law enforcement don't give such injustices a second look as long as they're getting paid to ignore it. Their lack of responsibility automatically puts that responsibility on us, and we have seen that national and international efforts are being upheld, but there is a way to make a difference on a local level, which is much easier to track. What is needed is simply means of promoting awareness, or even funding projects similar to Safehouse SF, which helps house ex-prostitutes and provides them with the skills necessary to make in the real world. Action needs to be taken to halt the growth of this rapidly growing industry, whether it be through monetary or legislative means. I encourage you to keep an open mind to such efforts and realize with the right knowledge and the right plan of action, it is very possible to have a profound effect on lives.
