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TOURISM: Conflicting Perspectives

Sun, Sea and Sex
***European tourists are heading East in a tragically-perverted version of the tourpackage formula of sun, sea and sand. Lucy Johnson of Inter Press Service reports from London***
WHEN Eric Holielt a British chauffeur liv Ing out his retirement on a beach tn southern Thailand was arrested earlier thia year charged with having sex with child prostitutes he merely dug into hie pockets
A US» 16.500 bribe got him secretly released from Chon buri Prison in Thailand, and he flew back to the safety of Britain where his alleged crimes would have been lor-gotien but for the prying journalism of Londons Daily Express newspaper
Despite the hard-hitting expose of Hollett s escape from Thailand, however. British courts were powerless to try him when he landed tn London
Hollett is just one of scores of European. Australian and North American paedophiles accused of buying cheap tick ets and heading to the beaches of Thailand. Srl Lanka or the Philippines to indulge in a thriving tourist trade in child sex. with no fear of any pun-laliment. except the occasional deportation.
A recent report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said there are one million child prostitutes in Asia. Thailand alone is said to have up to 300.000 children engaged In prostitution. In the Philippines the numbers are over 100.000. Taiwan 100,000 Sri Lanka : 30.000. Vietnam ; 40.000.
A newly-formed alliance of child campaign organisations — the Coalition on Child Prostitution and Tourism ICCPT) — says the problem is spreading.
"The UN pull-out from Cambodia left one sad legacy : a
big rise In child prostitution.'' said David Quid of Anti-Slavery International a London based organisation that is one of the five groups in CCPT
The child sex trade has brought with it the danger of AIDS In Asia. While there are no figures on children with HIV tn one hostel In Bangkok that gives temporary shelter to children rescued from the city's brothels, half the girls aged 14 to 18 tested positive for the virus, according to CCPT
"To avoid AIDS, people are looking for younger and younger children. But. given children's susceptibility to the virus, it should really be the other way round." said Quid.
A recent study by the Institute of Language and Culture for Rural Development at Thailand's Mahldol University showed a “tretnemdous Increase" in the number of male child prostitutes, which it blamed on the country's drive to Industrialise.
Britons head the list of foreigners flying into Thailand, still regarded as the number one destination for cheap sex-tourism. Some 273.000 Britons went to Thailand last year. 62.5 per cent of whom were men. Of these, 9.3 per
cent were on business, and 89.3 per cent went for leisure, according to the CCPT.
Though the days whan mainstream travel brochures advertised Thailand as a sex haven are over, campaigners say limited circulation magazines for businessmen run thinly-veiled advertisements for underage sex.
One magazine, published by a British financial' publishing group, called Scope International. raves about the appeals of Sao Luis, an Island in north Brazil where "most of the Inhabitants are young and they live only for one thing SEX', and "30 percent of prostitutes are said to be between 12-16".
Despite evidence that British sex tourists are picking up cheap tickets and heading East In droves In a tragically perverted version of the traditional British tour-package formula of sun. sea and sand, the British government is unwilling to act.
Last week. II defeated an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that would have al-Jowed British courts to prosecute Britons for committing sex offences againsl children.
The government opposed the amendment on the grounds that existing extradi-
non agreements are enough. But pro-amendment politicians and activists say that British courts have extra-territorial powers over murder, torture, treason and slavery — so why not child sex abuse?
They say British should follow the lead of countries like Australia. Germany. France and Sweden which have recently passed laws providing for jail sentences of 10 years or more for sex with minors even If the crime takes place In a foreign country
"Is the government saying that adult slaves must be given greater protection than children involved - In. a modern form of slavery?" asked Anne Badger, campaigns coordinator for CCPT that is launching a one-year action plan to push child sex tourism higher up the government's agenda.
Al a conference last month in Chiang Mai In Thailand, a Thal activist group End Child Prostitution in Aslan Tourism (ECPAT) argued that the only way to defeat child sex tourism Is for closer cooperation between Western nations and the countries where the crimes are committed.
Thal authorities admit there Is corruption within local police forces. In the Chonburi region. seven policemen were recently sacked after accepting bribes. The Thal cabinet recently approved a draft bill proposed by the Interior Ministry to Eliminate child prostitution and curbing the growing International sex trade.
But activists say merely clamping down In Thailand is not enough. "The problem is one of law enforcement : and that Is not just a local duty, but also an International one.” says Wilfred Wong of CCPT.
The scandal of child sex has tainted the British Embassy in Thailand as well Last year, the Britain's honorary consul 'in Pattaya, was asked to resign after being accused by a Sunday newspaper of trading in pornographic photos of boys.