Sexual+Slavery+and+Human+Trafficking+in+Asia

Thailand has been known as “The Land of Smiles” for many years because of its part in the sex trade. The use of the sex trade was exposed during the Vietnam War in which Thailand and the United States had an agreement to boost American solider morale due to the seven American bases in Thailand. This deal included giving the soldiers “R&R” (Rest & Recreation), which among the soldiers was known as “I&I” (for “Intoxication & Intercourse). The men would use this time to visit nearby brothels and go drinking (thus giving it the name I&I). When the war ended and the soliders left, tourism filled the void and helped fuel the Thailand economy by using the sex trade. In 1970, Thailand raised 20 million dollars based off of the sex trade alone. Today, sex trafficking is the third largest enterprise in the world with most victims taken from south and south-east Asia. Since there are limited jobs for women in Thailand, many women willingly go into prostitution to support their loved ones or are even sold by their families for extra money because they are expected to help their family financially. Other women are tricked into becoming a prostitute by a trafficker by being promised a secure, well paying job in another country. Once the women arrive in the country and are away from their families, the traffickers tell the victims that they have to work off their debt by working as a prostitute before they may go free. The increase in prostitutes in Thailand is also due to the fact that women are given fewer opportunities than men are and also receive less education which limits the amount of jobs that they could apply for. The dramatic rise in prostitution has also created an epidemic of HIV in Thailand with over 1.5 million women affected by it. The increase in HIV has also caused the increase in child prostitution due to the popular belief that children are less likely to contract an STD. Child prostitution is another reason why HIV is being spread at alarming rate because children are more likely to carry an STD than an adult is.
 * __History__**
 * __Current Situation__**

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Prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since 1960, but since it is seen as a source of revenue for the country, law officials will look the other way when given a small bribe. In Thailand’s laws against prostitution, people who are caught trafficking a young child will be punished but the punishment is never specified. It also states that it cannot be in public so people get around these laws by disguising a brothel as a massage parlor. Any women caught getting income as a prostitute can receive jail time, a fine, and a one year rehabilitation program. This rehabilitation teaches women how to do jobs such as becoming a nanny or a domestic servant by teaching the women the basics of cleaning, child care, and morals. The laws about trafficking in Thailand are vague and not fully addressed and until the laws are clearly defined, then the problem of the sex trade may never go away. You can help by educating yourself on how to identify trafficking situations or victims. __Characteristics of a Brothel:__ __Characteristics of a Trafficking Victim:__
 * __Being Addressed__**
 * __What You Can Do To Help__**
 * Large amounts of cash and condoms
 * Customer logbook
 * Sparse rooms
 * Men entering and leaving at all times of the night
 * People with restricted communication
 * Persons constantly moved by traffickers
 * Small living space with a large amount of occupants
 * People lacking private space, possessions, or finances
 * Injuries from being beaten or tortured
 * Signs of malnourishment

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