Don Bosco Technical School Sihanoukville

Social evils

Then we have the social evils to describe as well. Surely you have google Sihanoukville and find some interesting titles like these ones: child abuse, drugs, beggars, delinquency, street children, pedophiles.

Yes, that is also a reality and we should talk about it. In this sense, we promote what we call responsible tourism. There are several organizations trying to put all those things in order in Sihanoukville. Some of them have been successful and others not too much.

We should focus in the most vulnerable groups: children, youth and women. Very often, they become victims of an illegal system of exploitation in many sense.

We are not agree to portrait Sihanoukville as a haven for pedophiles like some particular and respectable organizations do. We prefer to show the successes in fighting such evils through education and prevention. However, you should be aware of some facts in Sihanoukville:

1. The problem of child abuse, child labor and women abuse is real. Those who want to deny it for the good of tourist promotion of the city, can do so, but tourists will find it by themselves and the bad effect will be worst.

2. There are several organizations, NGOs and officials, working in prevention and punishing infractions. Those who think that Cambodian officials are corrupt, that nobody care for children and blame authorities, do not get the full information. Corruption is everywhere in the world and everywhere in the world you can find honest people. The Sihanoukville prison counts with some foreign inmates who thought that they could do whatever in Sihanoukville with children and women. They are paying the consequences of their misconceptions. 

3. There is a bad effect of portraying foreign visitors as suspect pedophiles by the action of some organizations that work in protecting the children. Protection to children is noble. But it is also noble to protect the good name of people. The consequence is that some Cambodian families, without education and looking for money, put traps to foreigners - and this is also very real with some adult victims already. You can be accused of pedophile and the tribunals can put you in preventive prison. Therefore, be careful in dealing with minors in Sihanoukville. Do not trust in kindness and do not touch children, even if you do not have any bad intention.

4. We are addressing this article to good and safe tourists who want to come to enjoy Sihanoukville. However, if you are not a safe tourist and intend to visit the city to abuse children, we have the duty to warn you: you can be prosecuted by Cambodian authorities; there are organizations following you; in US, Canada, Australia, Japan and the European Union you can be prosecuted. For your information, the age of consent in Cambodia is 16 years old, but it is considered child abuse until 18 years old.

5. Do not give money to beggars. You will find handicap people with children asking for money. They are using their children to do so. They live from the money you give them, but they do not come out of poverty that way. Their children are forbidden to join school. Giving money to them, is keeping them on the beaches forever. Give that money to those organizations that work to improve the life of Cambodians in Sihanoukville.   

6. Some foreigners feel pity of the children and try to give them some support. Be aware that most of the children of the beaches are already supported and they can create stories to amaze you and get funds from you. If you want to support a child, a family or whatever, look for organizations like Don Bosco.