A Situational Analysis of Child Sex Tourism in Nepal (Kathmandu ...
A Situational Analysis of Child Sex Tourism in Nepal (Kathmandu ...
A Situational Analysis of Child Sex Tourism in Nepal (Kathmandu ...
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schools, the children are found to run after the trekkers. There are also some street<br />
vendors who sell hashish (Himalayan chocolate) to the foreigners.<br />
Tourists also help the children by help<strong>in</strong>g them <strong>in</strong> education and giv<strong>in</strong>g them food and<br />
clothes. They also take them to different places, usually short distances.<br />
There have been many <strong>in</strong>stances where the foreigners have married young <strong>Nepal</strong>i girls.<br />
They usually stay back for sometime. Some <strong>of</strong> the foreigners take the girls along with<br />
them while others leave them back while they leave for their country.<br />
We have seen that some tourists take some children along with them dur<strong>in</strong>g trekk<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
They take them to their rooms also, but what happens <strong>in</strong>side the room is not known to all.<br />
There are commercial sex workers also who are directly <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> this. Usually the<br />
girls <strong>of</strong> 12-13 years are found to be <strong>in</strong>volved more. This has been a bus<strong>in</strong>ess these days.<br />
3.7. <strong>Tourism</strong> Facility Owners / Providers<br />
3.7.1. Hotels and Restaurants:<br />
<strong>Child</strong>ren are <strong>in</strong>volved as porters, cleaners and rooms and as vendors. In the established<br />
and well known hotels, there are no children formally employed by the hotel or restaurant<br />
owners but <strong>in</strong> road side restaurants and lodges children work<strong>in</strong>g for them is not a rare<br />
occurrence.<br />
Usually it has been observed that the children are helped <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> food, clothes etc. by<br />
the tourists. Tourists also provide the children with stationeries and educational support.<br />
We do not allow the tourists to take outside people <strong>in</strong> the hotel room; there have been<br />
<strong>in</strong>cidences where we have send few girls back. The trend <strong>of</strong> young girls <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
commercial sex work is <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g very rapidly. If CSW is legalized it would be nice<br />
both for the tourists and for the CSWs also. If it is regarded as a job and necessary<br />
regulations are made then we can save these girls from exploitation and health hazards.<br />
This will also check the <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g rate <strong>of</strong> traffick<strong>in</strong>g to other countries. The society and<br />
government should be open for these th<strong>in</strong>gs. This could check the crime rate and rape<br />
<strong>in</strong>cidences also. We have environment and natures beauty that is well suited for<br />
flourish<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> this <strong>in</strong>dustry. We need to organize this properly<br />
3.7.2. Tourist Guides<br />
Tourists who take guides along with them come with an organized programme. They<br />
have a fixed schedule. We usually have a fixed route and fixed place to stay. Tourists<br />
usually compla<strong>in</strong> about the cleanl<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>of</strong> the place. We have not seen them tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
children while they go for trek. But they do <strong>in</strong>teract with the children <strong>in</strong> the villages.<br />
Actually the children swarm around the tourist once they see them. We have seen tourists<br />
behav<strong>in</strong>g very nicely with the children <strong>in</strong> front <strong>of</strong> us, but what happens <strong>in</strong> other places is<br />
not known.<br />
40 A <strong>Situational</strong> <strong>Analysis</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Sex</strong> <strong>Tourism</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong>