PAEDOPHILES PREY ON SRI LANKAN CHILDREN

The Movement to Prevent Child Prostitution (MPCP) - News Letter

The estimated number of young Sri Lankan boys (aged between 6-14) who have been victimised by foreign paedophiles is in the region of 10,000-15,000 (United Nations Children's Fund - UNICEF) with some reports claiming up to 30,000 (End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism - ECPAT). This situation however is not confined to boys alone.

In a study conducted by Dr Weeramunda, Department of Sociology - University of Colombo (1993) he confirms the increase in demand for young girls by both female and male paedophiles into this highly organised lucrative trade. It is a form of organised crime, advertised in paedophile magazines and promoted by some travel agents. Moreover our paradise isle has also been established as a safe haven for the production of child pornography.

There are various forms of child pornography. They include photographs, films, magazines, playing cards, video tapes and computer images. These may depict a range of activities from a young girl undressing to children of all ages including infants and toddlers engaged in intercourse, oral sex, masturbation, rape, incest, sexual sado-masochism and bestiality (sexual intercourse between persons and animals).

Collected mainly by paedophiles, child pornography is used to heighten sexual arousal, to lower children's inhibitions and instruct them in sexual practices, for bartering with other paedophiles for new material. It also serves as a permanent record of a paedophile's sexually abusive relationship with a child.

There is no distinct profile of a paedophile. They may be married or single from all walks of life - from prominent doctors and lawyers, to teachers and policemen.

It is widely acknowledged that most children involved come from marginalised communities in Sri Lanka, where they live in very low income households. They are easy prey not only for the paedophile but for the agent, often an older boy no longer wanted for sexual gratification because of his maturing years, who with the promise of money or material goods, goes in search of younger boys to put an offer or to fulfil a request.

What is also disturbing is that a growing number of boys engaged in this trade are not from poor families. For them it is more of a part time activity, whilst attending school, without the knowledge of their parents.

In the Sri Lankan context to use the term 'prostitute' to describe the occupation of these children is misleading, for they are 'consenting partners' to a homosexual relationship and willing to lend themselves to sexual abuse for money and goods, promises of jobs and a life abroad with their lovers. Only 3% (PEACE, a well known child rights organisation in Sri Lanka) of such victims achieve their dreams.

The implications of such an occupation is not realised either by the victims or their approving parents (in the case of low income households). For a country that has a literacy rate of 88% (World Bank Development Report 1994) this is indeed amazing.

The efforts of premature sex is damaging for children despite the widely held belief by paedophiles that children are at lower risk from the HIV/Aids virus. Children are in fact more susceptible to contracting HIV/Aids because their bodies are less developed.

It has been estimated by World Aids (1993) that up to 200,000 sexually transmitted diseases are reported each year and as many as 2,500 Sri Lankans are HIV positive. In a population of 17.4 million (World Bank 1994) this figure may seem small, but it represents a 300% increase in just over an year. Furthermore doctors have confirmed that these children suffer mental and psychological trauma and after having been discarded by their victimisers, unable to pick up on their lives again. Many become hooked on drugs and move into the criminal underworld. Several go on to act as pimps themselves.

Whilst realising that poverty is the underlying cause and ignorance the surrounding evil of this phenomenon for most victims, in an attempt to combat this situation, a group of Sri Lankans living in England; Rasitha Leelasena, Sandra Fernando, Kushan Withana, Ganesha Leelasena, Sherika Fernando and Shamie Karunadhara have come together to form the Movement to Prevent Child Prostitution (MPCP) and the organisation has already been registered as a charity in the UK.

The main objectives of MPCP are:
* Educate the public in Sri Lanka to the inherent dangers of child prostitution such as AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, the associated mental trauma and the need to take effective action.
* To achieve the passing of new laws and the implementation of existing laws against child prostitution, child pornography.
* To ensure that the laws in the country treat the children as victims not as criminals.
* To share the findings of research, work experience and innovative ideas wit organisations of similar objectives in the UK and overseas to assist the international campaign to end child prostitution.

Further MPCP intends to work in unison with PEACE . MPCP also plans to work together with similar organisations overseas in countries where large communities of Sri Lankans have set up home. At a meeting with Ms Christine Beddoe of The Coalition on Child Prostitution and Tourism, MPCP was asked to assist in the obtaining of clothes, toys and books including any teaching material for recently established rehabilitation centres for sexually abused children in Sri Lanka. Ms Beddoe also expressed her enthusiasm in working together with a Sri Lankan organisation that was taking an interest and initiative to tackle a situation which until now was highlighted and acted upon by local organisations in Britain.

Children are the future of any country and the improvement of their lives is the key to all development. In poor countries like ours, children are economically and socially exposed and thus easily manipulated. Child prostitution has been largely eradicated by classifying it a criminal offence in the West; for it to flourish unchecked in the rest of the world is an indictment of the value placed on the lives of children in the East. Clearly, it is an issue with both moral and social implications - moral in that the rights of millions of children are deliberately abused; social in that no nation can truly hope to develop if it squanders its most valuable resource - its youth.

Please assist in every little way you can to the requests of Ms Beddoe. It is the young of the present day that will eventually shape national policy and determine the future of Sri Lanka. An investment in to their welfare and education is therefore an essential pre-requisite. The financial cost of attaining these are high but if ignored the social costs will be higher. It is up to us as individuals to take a stance, make a change to a situation that we ourselves have only avoided by a good fortune of birth.

If you have any contact with similar organisations overseas, would like to get involved in the work of the MPCP or just would like more information please contact:

MPCP
5 Mount Drive
Wembley Park
Middlesex HA9 9ED
United Kingdom
Te1(081) 904 1727
Fax (081) 550 9224
MPCP would like to thank UNICEF, The Coalition on Child Prostitution and Tourism, Ms Maureen Seneviratne (PEACE) and Dr Weeramunda for information published in this article.

Source: MPCP Publication

Copyright ©

Home News Business DhammaWeb Info & Services Classified Search