Exploitation: Child Prostitution in Southeast Asia
             Ling is a ten-year-old Thai girl who enjoys playing pool, hanging out with her friends, and having fun. Even though she seems normal there is something very wrong in Ling's life, she is a child prostitute. When her parents experienced financial hardships they had no other option but to sell her to a brothel in hopes of making money. There is a high demand for young girls and Ling will make a good deal of money, which will help pay the debts of her parents. Like many other girls her age Ling has to suffer in order to help her parents out of poverty. She is constantly at risk of getting and STD or being abused. Child prostitution is a problem that is rampant in Southeast Asia and victimizes countless children. This is a problem that needs to be solved.
             Child prostitution has been a problem in Asia for many centuries. In the past it was seen as an acceptable practice and only recently has it been recognized as a problem (Dave). In Asian cultures older men consider young girls attractive and they feel that sleeping with them will make them healthy and increase their life span (Levis). Due to the demand for young girls, child prostitution has been a successful industry in Asia. Not only have local men been customers but also visitors from the west have been patrons of brothels that provide young girls. In the 1950's visiting military personnel helped boost business and recently many vacationers and businessmen have made the business thrive (World Congress). Child prostitution has flourished and nothing was done to stop it until the early 1990's. Organizations such as ECPAT (End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism), the UN, and the World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children have been pressuring gove!
             rnments to crack down on child prostitution. With the help of these organizations the public is becoming more aware of the problem an...