MALAYSIA: Haven for child prostitution

Summary: Child rights activists say that Malaysia has seen an increase in child prostitution with an average of 150 kids being forced into the industry every year.

Tucked away from the glitz and glamour of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's federal capital, is the child sex industry. That's according to child rights activists.

They claim that these child prostitutes, who number in thousands, are as young as 13 and are victims of human trafficking. 

Some, according to these activists, are Malaysian kids while others come from Indonesia, Thailand and India. 

To avoid being arrested by the police, child rights workers say these kids do not work in the brothels but are housed in dilapidated low-cost apartments. 

Prostitution is illegal in Malaysia but child rights advocates claim that the child sex industry is a lucrative market as clients pay double the amount paid to an adult. 

This could be as much as 100 US dollars per child. 

And they also say that the kids usually come from a poor background or are tricked into selling their bodies. 

Government leaders acknowledge that the mushrooming of child prostitution in Malaysia is a serious problem. 

But they also say that the government has been working closely with the police to weed out this growing phenomenon. 

Child rights workers also say that Malaysia has seen an increase in child prostitution with an average of 150 kids being forced into the industry every year. 

Rights activists in the country have welcomed the move by the Malaysian government to work closely with enforcement agencies to curb the child sex industry. But they also say that the authorities must work closely with non-governmental organizations to ensure that the rights of these children are protected.

 

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