Have you ever heard Cambodia Red Light District? They made a big step forward when it closed down the dreaded Svay Pak shantytown. These were the places where girls as young as ten worked as prostitutes. You should look into what happened and why it happened.
Cambodia Red Light District: The government does something.
As a regional tourism meeting was about to start, the Cambodian government decided to shut down the Svay Pak red-light district. General Soun Chheangly, the head of the police force, said that they wanted to protect Cambodia’s traditional reputation. During his speech, he said that Svay Pak had a bad reputation because it was linked to rape and sex tourism.
Cambodia Red Light District: Making a Dangerous Choice
The cops did not waste their time. They got into the town, blocked customers from getting in, and shut down all the brothels that were there. These people made it very clear that this was not a temporary issue; this time, Svay Pak decided to shut down for good. Most of the time, the brothels would return after being closed for a long time, but this time they didn’t.
Cambodia Red Light District: Streets Not Being Used
At this point, Svay Pak is like a town that no one is in. The vast majority of the women who use to work there have either succeed in moving to other places or have been arrest by the Ministry of Social Welfare. In this settlement, mostly Vietnamese girls used and made to work as prostitutes for very little pay. The settlement was known for trafficking children and taking advantage of young women.
Making an appearance after a long time
Activists have been pushing for years to close down Svay Pak, even though the tourism meeting may have sped up the process. The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Mu Sochua, stressed how important it was to end this business that abused women and children.
A rougher way to deal with abuse
Since a long time ago, prostitution has been against the law in Cambodia, but the law has not been enforced well enough. A huge number of young girls have been force to work in the sex trade over the years. On the other hand, Prime Minister Hun Sen decided last year to do something about rape. A huge number of young women have been save from these terrible situations since then.
The fight is still going on.
Some businesses are still breaking the law by pretending to be massage parlors or by paying off officials, even though there has been a crackdown. These new actions by the government, on the other hand, make it clear that they really want to stop this kind of abuse.
Last Thoughts
Cambodia’s fight against sex trafficking and abuse also Red Light District has come a long way. The closing of Svay Pak is a big step forward in this fight. This shows that change is possible if someone is motivate and puts in place the right rules. People in Cambodia should hope that this is the start of a safer and brighter future for the women and children there.
