Quick links. Many girls in their senior years at primary school Pratom and early years in secondary school Mattayom in the Northeast are engaged in the sex trade, not all of them voluntarily, says the Child Protection Foundation. On Nov 24, the foundation received complaints from residents in tambon Wangdong of Maha Sarakham's Yang Si Surat district that young girls in their villages had been lured into prostitution.
The foundation's staff discovered many girls in primary school and secondary school were selling sex. It was widely known that some college or university students were involved in the sex industry. However, Mr Montri said he was shocked to find so many girls under the age of 15 had also entered the business. Now they do it in moo krata eateries [all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurants] instead.
Teen prostitutes who entered the business for an extended period were also likely to persuade their friends to enter the sex trade too. More importantly, some parents just did not care about their children.
So they just let it be. This attitude is dangerous. The foundation rescued two year-old girls last month from being lured into prostitution in Maha Sarakham. One of the girls was encouraged by a relative to enter the flesh trade, while the other girl began prostituting herself at the recommendation of a friend. A police officer identified only as Poong was accused of paying both girls for sex.
Mr Montri has filed a complaint on behalf of the girls with the Crime Suppression Division, asking it to prosecute the officer involved. Other students who worked as prostitutes, who were older than the two girls, did not want help from the foundation, Mr Montri said. He urged local authorities, especially child protection committees under tambon administration organisations, to play a bigger role in combating child prostitution. Police must find out where teen prostitutes meet their clients and hotel operators must be questioned as to whether they have a role, he said.
