BANGKOK: In an effort to curtail sexual exploitation and child sex slavery in the tourism industry, Cambodia's tourism ministry in partnership with World Vision-Cambodia on Wednesday announced a new deal to meet those aims. The two parties said that they would work together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Interpol “to address sexual exploitation of children in tourism in a duel prevention and protection approach.” The announcement comes as more reports have been published in recent months highlighting the growing child sex industry aimed at tourists in the Southeast Asian country. “Together with the Cambodian government and tourism sector, World vision will work to become more aware of vulnerabilities of at-risk children and support responsible tourism practices that prioritize child protection,” the government and the NGO said. “World Vision will also work in communities with children, parents and community leaders to build resilience against abuse,” it added. The statement also said that the UNODC and Interpol were working to bolster law enforcement to protect children from being forced into the child sex business and would work harder to uncover those responsible for the illegal trade. The agreement was signed by Hor Sarun, undersecretary of state at the Tourism Ministry and World Vision-Cambodia national director Jason Evans, Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported. The four-year project is sponsored by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) Initiative with a $7.5 million fund for four countries in Mekong sub-region including Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.
