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4.4 Child sex tourism
It is estimated that between 40 000 and 100,000 Cambodians are involved in prostitution.
Unicef estimates that 30-35 per cent of these are children 130 . Selia Samleang, Country
Director at APLE (Action pour les Enfants) says that child sex tourism is increasing in
Cambodia and many cases are not discovered 131 . Paedophiles, situational child-sex offenders,
long-term residents and virginity seekers, constitute the child sex tourists in Cambodia.
Many of them are not westerners, but are often Chinese or South Korean. 132
ECPAT attributes the prevalence of child sex tourism to the low costs of travel to Cambodia
and the worsened economic situation of the local population. As it is not culturally accepted
as a child to say no to an adult in Cambodia, it is easier for the child to be exploited .The
children who are living on the streets are especially vulnerable. Social and cultural factors
underlie such child abuse. 133 Children who are involved in child sex tourism and are victims
of sex trafficking are especially vulnerable infection with HIV/AIDS. 134
Cambodia is also a source, transit, and destination country for children who are victims of
trafficking and in particular forced labour and sex trafficking. It is common for Cambodian
children to migrate to other countries in the region – primarily Thailand and Malaysia, but
also Singapore, Vietnam, and South Korea. 135 In addition, many young Vietnamese girls
especially from the south of Vietnam are either sold or trafficked to Phnom Penh and other
tourist destinations for the purpose of sexual exploitation 136 .
The main reason for their migration is work in factories, restaurants and other industries.
However, many are subjected to sex trafficking, domestic servitude, debt bondage, or forced
labour within the fishing, construction, food processing, and agricultural industries 137 .
4.5 Alcohol
According to the People Center for Development and Peace, the level of alcohol consumption
is higher in tourist destinations than in other areas of Cambodia 138 . Mak Chamroen, President
of the Khmer Youth Association, the Cambodian government thinks that the alcohol
industry contributes to the growing economy in Cambodia. However, the negative side
effects are estimated to cost three times the amount that tourism brings in economic terms
to Cambodian society. For example, more local youths are involved in violence. 139 Increased
alcohol consumption among workers leads to domestic violence which affects the children in
the families concerned 140 . Furthermore, tourism, alcohol, drugs and sexual exploitation are
very much linked to each other. In an environment where alcohol is aggressively promoted
and sexual behaviour is encouraged, young people are also at risk from HIV/AIDS. 141
Hence, there is a risk that increased alcohol consumption in tourist areas affects local children
negatively.
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