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10,000 to 12,000 children from rural areas are trafficked and prostituted
to pedophiles by organized crime groups. ("Sri Lankan children for sale on
the Internet," Julian West, New Delhi, London Telegraph, 26 Oct 1997)
80% of labor migration in 1994 was of women workers. Job trainees in Korea
and Japan have disappeared into underground exploitation, such prostitution.
(CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking
in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
The military and political situation in Sri Lanka has led to an increase
in migration, which has made women extremely vulnerable to trafficking for
prostitution. (Indrani Sinha, executive director, "Paper on Globalization
and Human Rights," SANLAAP)
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Initiation of girls into prostitution is done under the guise of religion.
Devadasis, jogins and venkat sanis are young girls dedicated to goddesses
and forced into prostitution for life under a priest or landlord. (Wijaya
Kannangara, Executive International Division Sarvodaya Movement of Sri
Lanka, "Paper on Cultural Violation")
In Madhya Pradesh and Raisthan nomadic tribes chieftains have mistresses
who later become prostitutes. (Wijaya Kannangara, Executive International
Division Sarvodaya Movement of Sri Lanka, "Paper on Cultural Violation")
In India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, child marriage is accepted
and considered the best method to procure girls for prostitution. (Indrani
Sinha, SANLAAP India, "Paper on Globalization and Human Rights")
Prostitution Tourism
Sri Lanka is one of the favored destinations of paedophile sex tourists from
Europe and the United States. ("Global law to punish sex tourists sought by
Britain and EU," The Indian Express, 21 November 1997)
5,000 to 30,000 Sri Lanka boys are used by Western pedophile sex tourists
in Sri Lanka. (Sri Lankan activists, Feizal Smith, "Sri Lanka: Tightening
Screws on Paedophiles," IPS, 20 February 1998)
600 advertisements for Sri Lankan children, most boys, appeared on the Internet
in October 1997. Child care experts in Sri Lanka warned that child prostitution
was being promoted to foreigners on the Internet, making it one of the worst
countries for child abuse. Local middlemen, mostly from Europe are used to
find children of the required age for paedophiles, who then travel to Sri
Lanka. (BBC, 8 Nov 1997)
Policy and Law
Sri Lanka tightened laws on the exploitation of children, making paedophilia
a non-bailable offense, with the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and
victims entitled to compensation. (Feizal Smith, "Sri Lanka: Tightening Screws
on Paedophiles," IPS, 20 February 1998)
In 1996 the government raised The age of consent from 12 to 16, and made
prison sentences, ranging from 10 to 20 years, mandatory for sex offenders.
No arrests have been made. Campaigners criticise the moves as "cosmetic".
("Sri Lankan children for sale on the Internet," Julian West, New Delhi, London
Telegraph, 26 Oct 1997)
Official Response and Action
Police set up a national desk for child abuse. Eleven foreigners, mostly
Europeans, were arrested. Most have either been deported, jumped bail, or
been given minimal fines. (Julian West, "Sri Lankan children for sale on the
Internet," London Telegraph, 26 October 1997)
Case
Two Europeans were deported to face trial in their own countries last year
on charges of being paedophiles under a law that allows extra-territorial
jurisdiction. (Sri Lankan activists, Feizal Smith, "Sri Lanka: Tightening
Screws on Paedophiles," IPS, 20 February 1998)
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Sri Lanka is a principal source of child pornography for the United States
and Europe. (Laura Lederer, "Sri Lankan children for sale on the Internet,"
Julian West, New Delhi, London Telegraph, 26 Oct 1997)
Swedish police seized 300 hours of film showing Western men exploiting Sri
Lankan children in 1995. ("Sri Lankan children for sale on the Internet,"
Julian West, New Delhi, London Telegraph, 26 Oct 1997)
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