I wish to comment on Post Couriers story on Thursday 20 March headlined the Asian Sex Racket.
There is a need for the media to dig deeper into these reports of an Asian sex ring and identify those involved in this racket. Reports of Asian girls involved in prostitution highlights that PNG has now become a destination country for the global sex industry through the trafficking of women and girls.
The global trafficking of women and girls for purposes of sexual exploitation and to serve the sexual demands of men is also another form of modern day slavery.
The United Nations estimates that the global industry of human trafficking generates an estimated 5-7 billion US dollars in illicit profits with at least seven hundred thousand victims trafficked across international borders each year.
According to Dutch research, Sietske Altink more and more countries are joining the ranks of sending countries and increasing numbers are target countries.
The UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children gives a broad definition of Human Trafficking, which very briefly, involves using threats, force, abduction, fraud etc to recruit, transport, transfer another person for sexual exploitation, prostitution, forced labour or slavery.
Human trafficking is most common in Europe and Asia. In Asia alone, more than a million women and girls are sold into prostitution each year and is the largest source of dirty money for criminals, after drugs and arms smuggling.
This modern day form of slavery not only involves sexual exploitation but physical and mental abuse of human beings in a massive scale, making trafficking of women and children a very serious violation of basic human rights and one of the most disturbing aspects of our lives today.
Sex tourism, mail order brides, prostitution in brothels, pornography and militarised sexual services are examples of this market.
In PNG, the buying of very young girls from rural or remote areas for the purposes of sexual exploitation and transporting them to other parts of the province amounts to domestic trafficking of humans and should not be tolerated.
According to the 2006 UNICEF, UNESCAP, ECPAT Regional Report on Child Sexual Abuse and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Pacific, trafficking in children for sexual abuse and exploitation is occurring both internally as well as across the Indonesia border. Very young girls from poor Central and Gulf villagers are handed over to men who offer large amounts of men. There are men negotiating these deals for payment. One report alleges that a doctor from Simbu province has bought a ten year old Waiori girl and has already slept with her (pg 41).
Uneven distribution of wealth, economic hardships and the increased demand for women as sex objects fuels the global problem.
Organised criminal networks that abduct and illegally bring foreigners into PNG for their evil exploits are facilitated by their PUPPETS at strategic locations, such as immigration, air/sea port security or customs and government departments. The ignorance of law enforcing agents and the lack of implementation or non existence of appropriate laws adds to this problem.
Generally, the women and children are always the victims and the culprits who are the key players go unpunished, and continue to use the system as their pawn.
The voices of Human Rights groups and concerned citizens need to be heard and heard loudly now.
The women who are forced to participate in the sex racket are usually bashed, tortured, brutally raped and threatened with death if they do not cooperate. For those who escape, and are caught, they are killed as a lesson to others. In most instances, the passports of these women are hidden by their abductors and in the event of police raids they are treated as criminals because of violation of immigration laws. Usually authorities or police do not recognise them as victims who were abducted, sold and brought illegally into countries.
Trafficking of women and children whether internationally or domestically is both an evil and criminal act that has no place in this beautiful country of ours. People who are building their empires through the misery of others need to be stamped out.
Ordinary Papua New Guineans like the buai seller on the street, the security guard or the high school student, are the country’s watchdog. We have the collective power to change our nation for the better by reporting what we see, speaking out against injustices and voicing out a chorus for action.
It is not only the foreign women at risk but our very own children right at our door step as well, who are waiting for someone to bring their plight to prominence.
Lorraine
