....child prostitution....Up to 1 million children in Asia are victimised by sexual exploitation. Children, both boys and girls, from as young as 7 years of age are being enticed, coerced and sold into sexual abuse, the vast majority from desperately poor families who may not be aware their children are trafficked across borders, taken to brothels and bonded into debt. Regardless of the situation, all sexually abused children are manipulated by disparities of wealth and power, and it is overwhelmingly Western sex offenders who exploit economic hardship in pursuit of their criminal desires. Rising consumerism, for which tourism must take some responsibility, is cited as a cause of the upsurge in child labour in the sex industries of Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
Child sex tourism is a criminal offence in many countries around the world. Extra-territorial laws in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and many EU countries mean that prosecution and punishment can occur in the offenderÆs country of residence even when the crime took place overseas. In addition to these laws, tougher action, including imprisonment, is now being taken in countries which have been documented as centres for child sexual exploitation. Responsible travellers can help in the campaign to end the sexual exploitation of children by reporting suspected activity to police, firstly in the country they are in and then upon returning home.
