The recent media spotlight on Sukhumvit Road vendors selling child porn has resulted in the arrest of two Burmese nationals, named BJ and Gunny, according to an article in the Bangkok Post. This same article mentions that a 20-year-old Thai female was also arrested as part of the Thai police sting operation targeting porn vendors.
The Thai police are to be commended in their efforts to control child porn. However, more resources are still needed.
Child Windshield Wipers
A new entry into the street circus that is Sukhumvit Road are the children at the Asoke Intersection, wiping the windows of cars waiting for a green light. These children are apparently not Thai. They are Burmese and/or Cambodian.
The fact that these children are not in school and are instead engaging in dangerous labor illustrates the need for an increase in resources needed for social services in Thailand.
As long-term residents of Thailand are aware, there have been an increasing number of Burmese immigrants that work in the tourist industry either with valid work authorization, or without. These Burmese vendors are usually hired because they are: 1. less expensive than Thai workers; 2. frequently their English is better; and 3. Thais are less willing to work in the “grey” areas of the law.
Whether the current child porn crackdown will be a temporary effort until the media focus drifts to a new story remains to be seen.
However, the current situation illustrates the structural problems of controlling vice. Police act according to the complaints made. If no complaint is made, law enforcement is more lax. The law enforcement efforts are therefore focused on resolving individual cases rather than broad policies to combat the root causes of vice.
The same can be said for the social services system in Thailand. The social service system responds to complaints, as do the Thai police. More often than not, the beggars in tourist areas are pawns in a criminal network. Police and social workers are not currently equipped to deal with this type of structural problem.
Lasting change can only be achieved by addressing the root causes responsible for problems such as child pornography and exploitation. These include illegal immigration and an established criminal network whose resources are often greater than those of the government.
Related Documents:
Thai Criminal Law and Pornography on the Internet
