Situation of child sex tourism in Cambodia and Thailand is alarming. More and more children are used as sex slaves

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 24th Jul 2008

Sarah Ludford and Jules Maaten learning about the ChildSafe programme (www.childsafe-international.org)from staff of NGO Friends International in Bangkok. The programme aims to involve the local community and travellers in protecting urban children from sexual and other abuse and as one of its actions certifies hotels and restaurants where staff are trained to look out for and not tolerate suspicious behaviour involving children.

In the context of the ALDE campaign against child sex tourism, European Liberal and Democrats members Jules Maaten (VVD, Netherlands) and Baroness Sarah Ludford (Lib Dem, UK), who participated in a fact finding mission to Thailand and Cambodia, are deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation of child sex tourism in the region. Together with anti-child sex activist Somaly Mam, they urge western governments to fight sex tourism committed by their compatriots.

Head of the mission Jules Maaten concluded: "The situation is alarming and even worse than we expected. Cambodia has become the prime location of child sex offenders and every year more children are used as sex slaves by western tourists and aid workers. We have to open our eyes and take action now against this modern form of slavery."

According to Baroness Sarah Ludford points to how perpetrators are getting away with abuse: "The capacity of the Cambodian police is insufficient to successfully prosecute offenders. Arrested suspects often bribe their way out of the country and flee to their home countries. Only 1 out of 5 cases which actually make it to court lead to a conviction and only 3% of suspects arrested for sex with children are actually convicted."

They conclude that the European Union should play a bigger role. Their three concrete proposals are:

The Member States should give Europol a stronger role to receive the powers and the means to train police, prosecutors and judges in Southeast Asia and South-eastern Europe on the subject of sexual exploitation of children.

The EU should improve the exchange of information with third countries - with proper respect for data protection -in order to help identify possible suspects as well as prosecuting perpetrators.

The EU should enter those convicted of child sex tourism, outside the EU as well as inside, into the Schengen Information System.

Somaly Mam has been arranging the rescue of child sex slaves - over 4,000 in the past decade. The group she formed - Acting for Women in Distressing Situations - counsels and rehabilitates them at shelters in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam: "Western governments have to open their eyes to the crimes committed by their compatriots abroad. Often disguised as tourists or aid workers, they search for children they can sexually abuse. Since they are hardly hindered by the authorities, more and more children are victim of child sex offenders."

To urge the governments of the EU Member States to take action against child sex tourism, European Liberals and Democrats have launched an online petition at www.sayno.eu.