News from today's Bangkok Post

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June 13, 1997
Bangkok Post

Panel refuses to publicise gas contract

Deal 'too technical for laymen to understand'

Chakrit Ridmontri 
Kanchanaburi


The panel assigned to monitor the Yadana gas pipeline refused yesterday 
to make public the contract between the Petroleum Authority of Thailand 
(PTT) and its supplier.

The refusal came after the prime minister agreed on Wednesday that 
opponents should see details of PTT's deal with the exploration 
consortium in Burma and its own pipeline contractors.

Chavalit Yongchaiyudh told the opponents to receive copies from the 
panel at its monthly meeting in Kanchanaburi yesterday.

Kwanchai Wasawong, the panel chairman, produced a copy of the contract 
but refused to let the opponents photocopy it. "You can see the copy 
here but can't take it for photocopying," he said.

"Sorry, I don't mean to look down on you but it is in English with 
plenty of technical terms, so you may not understand it clearly," said 
Mr Kwanchai, also the provincial governor.

"Although the premier has told us to reveal the contract, any people 
wishing to see it must be supervised by legal experts and under the 
consideration of the committee," he said.

Terms would be misunderstood if the opponents were allowed to translate 
it themselves, said Mr Kwanchai, who claimed disclosure would damage 
relations with Burma and put the PTT at a disadvantage.

The meeting became tense when Suchin Hongsawadee, a headman and project 
supporter, said Gen Chavalit had not said the panel should make the 
contract public.

"We are the majority of Kanchanaburi and we also want to see the copy," 
he said. "Please allow the meeting to proceed smoothly," he said as 
groups led by the Kanchanaburi Conservation Club walked out.

Phinant Chotirosseranee, leader of the local conservation group, said: 
"I will tell the prime minister the panel did not follow his 
instructions unless the governor gives us a copy."

The conservation groups want to see the contract to verify claims by the 
PTT and Korn Dabbaransi, the industry minister, that Burma is entitled 
to collect a fine of the equivalent of the daily gas delivery if the 
project is not finished by July next year.


They also want authority to ensure the contractors stick to the terms 
and do not use techniques banned according to the environmental impact 
assessment.

Suwanant Chatiudompunth, senior vice-president of PTT Gas, said the 
panel was setting up groups to monitor construction, revise the impact 
assessment and explain the contract to the public.

The groups would answer questions raised by conservation groups and 
NGOs, he said, but construction would proceed as planned. The PTT had 
agreed to reduce the width of the pipeline route from 20m to 15m, he 
said, but may have to blast if digging does not work. The impact 
assessment suggested blasting in sensitive areas be avoided.

According to the PTT, 12 percent of the 260km pipeline is finished and 
will complete the project before June 1998 to take deliveries of gas 
from Burma's Yadana and Yetagun fields.

However, part of the route cuts through 6km of fertile forest in Thong 
Pha Phum district and several kilometres in Sai Yok National Park and 
the Forestry Department has yet to give its consent.

Panel to look into Burma's allegations

The sub-committee on foreign affairs will look into Burmese allegations 
that the Thai army chief had given his consent to Burma's dredging of 
the Moei River opposite Mae Sot district of Tak.

Its chairman, M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, said yesterday his panel would 
ask Gen Chettha Thanajaro to explain Burmese claims that he had allowed 
Burmese authorities to dredge the Moei opposite Ban Rim Moei to change 
its course back to what it was originally.

Gen Chettha has already denied Burma's Southern Command chief Maj-Gen 
Khet Sein's claim that the dredging was carried out with the Thai army 
chief's consent in exchange for opening of the Thai-Burmese friendship 
bridge.

"I think we (Thai authorities) were too submissive in letting Burma 
dredge the river near the Thai boundary. The committee needs details 
about this matter. We will invite Gen Chettha to give an explanation to 
us in person, or we will meet him at army headquarters," M.R. 
Sukhumbhand said.

But he added the government made the right decision in trying to solve 
border problems through negotiation.

Boundary problems were common to all Southeast Asian countries because 
they held different copies of aerial maps, he said.

The government should focus on improving cultural and people-to-people 
relations between Thailand and Burma and show other countries that 
Thailand was promoting democracy and people's freedom, the Democrat MP 
added.

Checkpoint closure hits Thai exports

Supamart Kasem 
Mae Sot


Burma has sealed a checkpoint on its side of the border for an 
indefinite period - resulting in more than 10 million baht worth of 
goods being stranded in Thailand.

Burmese officials gave unclear explanations for the reason behind the 
closure.

The Thai chairman of the Local Thai-Burmese Border Committee Col 
Chatchapat Yaem-ngarmriab, who coordinated border affairs with the 
Burmese side, said he had been informed the closure was made for 
"security reasons."

More than 10 million baht worth of goods destined for Myawaddy was 
stranded on the Thai side of the border as a result.

Third Army Region commander Lt-Gen Thanom Watcharaput said that Burma 
has the right to unilaterally close down the checkpoint and he could not 
tell how long it will remain closed.

He refused to say if the Burmese move was caused by a conflict over the 
border line.

The military did not stand to be affected by the closure but villagers 
from both sides of the border who make their living from cross-border 
trade are affected, he said.

Border security sources said that apart from the conflict over the 
border line, the checkpoint closure could be retaliation for Thai 
officials' ban of Burmese workers on boat landings on the Thai side and 
the Thai ban of imports of Burmese onion and garlic through the 
checkpoint.

(Outlook)
For sale: Burmese virgins

Thousands of young women cross the northern border in the hope of making 
their fortunes in Thailand's sex trade, and many return home with more 
than they bargained for

BUSSARAWAN TEERAWICHITCHAINAN
<Picture: [Photo]>

It is with great pride that Srima, a 21-year-old woman from the Shan 
State in northern Burma, tells how she recently bought a plot of land 
for her parents in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, and in the next few 
months, will have a small house built there.

After three years of hard work moving from one brothel to another, 
Srima's dream has finally come true. With a home in Thailand, the woman 
believes, her parents can settle peacefully here, instead of risking 
their lives in the war-torn Shan State.

The family will soon re-unite. And everything seems perfect, except that 
Srima - the family's only breadwinner - may not live long enough to 
enjoy all this. She is now infected with Aids.

A similar fate befalls many girls from Burma. Across the 2,400-kilometre 
border, tens of thousands of Burmese women have come to Thailand in the 
hope of "making it" here. Nobody wants to return home empty-handed. Some 
girls do manage to send a lot of money back home, but unfortunately 
many, like Srima, also end up with Aids.

A combination of factors draws Burmese girls to seek their fortunes here 
- income disparity between Thailand and Burma, easy transportation and 
well-connected international sex trade rackets - reveals a recent 
research paper, "The Passage of Women from Neighbouring Countries into 
the Sex Trade in Thailand" by Dr Kritaya Archavanitkul and Ponsook 
Kertsawang.

According to the research, Thailand's current economic slump has not 
affected the sex industry. The luring of women into prostitution 
continue unabated and has even become more sophisticated with less force 
being used and more "soft tricks" which prove just as effective.

This means women, especially those from less-prosperous, neighbouring 
countries, can be sucked in to the flesh trade more easily.

At present, by the researchers' conservative estimation, there are at 
least 10,000 sex workers from our neighbouring countries of Burma, Laos, 
Cambodia, Vietnam, and southern China working in Thailand. Most come 
from Burma.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Picture: *>SOMETHING DIFFERENT 
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Prostitution in Thailand is changing its face. Because of persistent 
campaigning by the government as well as non-governmental organisations 
(NGOs), each year fewer Thai girls enter the sex business.

To meet the steadily high demand, foreign girls, therefore, are 
recruited instead. This technique is becoming more popular among 
racketeers because of a plentiful supply, a cheaper price, and Thai 
men's desire to try "something different".

"International trafficking of sex workers is encroaching the borders and 
reaching into the home of our neighbours," said Dr Kritaya.

Northern Burma is affected the most. "History repeats itself. What is 
happening in the Shan State right now is like what happened in the North 
of Thailand 15 years ago, when many northern Thai girls left their homes 
to enter the sex industry," said the researcher and lecturer at Mahidol 
University's Institute for Population and Social Research.

In their survey conducted in over 40 brothels in 18 provinces last year, 
the Mahidol researchers failed to find young girls from northern 
Thailand just entering the trade.

Such girls are kept in school due to the continuous efforts of the 
government and NGOs in campaigning against child prostitution, said the 
research paper. Most of the Thai sex workers they found were those who 
had been in the business for over three years.

"If anybody want to find 'fresh' girls, they have to look for dek nok 
(foreign girls)," revealed Bird, manager of an established massage 
parlour. These days, many brothels and entertainment places, especially 
those of lower grades, only have foreign girls for service. Shan and 
Tai-Lue girls from the Shan State are the largest group.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Picture: *>DOCILE AND OBEDIENT 
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Apart from plentiful supply and cheap prices, girls from Burma are also 
favoured by the procurers and customers because of their innocence. 
"Shan girls are sweet and very obedient, while Thai girls give me a 
headache. They are drunkards, spendthrifts and gamblers. Sometimes they 
even cheat me. Now I employ only Shan girls and I can do business more 
easily," said Nuek, 40, who has run a brothel for 12 years. The language 
barrier also keep the foreign girls silent and submissive.

"They often do everything the customers asks," added Nuek.

In addition to their docility, the women's physical appearance is also 
attractive to customers. Young and fair with long hair, the Shan girls 
are beautiful in Thai men's eyes. But their best selling point is their 
virginity. Many men believe that sleeping with a virgin will give them a 
long life and energise their sexual appetite. "Lots of Thai and foreign 
men go straight to Mae Sai to sleep with virgins from Burma. This is an 
established business on the Thai-Burma border," said Dr Kritaya.

Agents first contact the parents of young Shan girls, then take photos 
of their daughters. They then put together a catalogue featuring photos 
of the girls for their customers to choose. When selected, the girls are 
brought from villages in Burma to a hotel in Mae Sai.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Picture: *>THE PRICE OF A VIRGIN 
------------------------------------------------------------------------


The story of Soy, a 19-year-old Tai-Lue girl, is typical. At 16, she was 
summoned from the rice fields to have her "first time" with a Japanese 
tourist. She earned 15,000 baht. Three months later, Soy did it again 
with another Japanese man. For her "second time", the price dropped to 
8,000 baht. The offer of such a large sum of money both puzzles and 
entices many villagers in Burma, said Dr Kritaya. Some, therefore, feel 
that if the "first time" is worth that much cash, their daughters should 
do it. Nevertheless, at the time they have no intention of allowing 
their daughters to become prostitutes. "I felt frightened when the agent 
brought me to the hotel. But my father said me that all women have to 
lose their virginity. Losing it now or later is no different," said Soy, 
who currently works in a brothel in central Thailand.

Soy went back to work at home after her first and second time. A year 
later, she got bored with her job of weaving and wanted to do something 
else that could make her a lot of money. She decided to enter the sex 
business. "My dad didn't give me his consent to become a prostitute. 
Losing your virginity for money and being a sex worker are not the same, 
he said. But I want to stand on my own two feet. I feel useless at 
home." Money, it is said, speaks louder than anything else. But in the 
case of girls from Burma, it's also the agitation they feel in their 
tumultuous home country with its ongoing civil wars that pushes them 
into Thailand.

"What can we do in Burma? We have no money but we need to eat. Burmese 
soldiers don't love the people. They force us to work but pay us 
nothing. They also extort money or rice from us. If we don't give it to 
them, we may get raped," complained Kham Euay, 19, a Tai-Lue girl from 
Shan State. "So coming to seek our fortune here, I thought, is better 
than starving at home," added the girl, who is also now infected with 
the Aids virus.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Picture: *>DUTIFUL DAUGHTERS 
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Instability in the home, the Mahidol researchers said, together with the 
"dutiful daughter" culture are two of the main factors which push girls 
from Burma into prostitution. Like their Thai sisters across the border, 
Shan and Tai Lue girls from northern Burma feel that being the family 
breadwinner is the greatest way to show gratitude to their parents. 
"With such perceptions in their minds, it is no wonder that Shan and Tai 
Lue women come to the flesh trade in the largest number of all foreign 
sex workers," explained Dr Kritaya. Such is the case with Lah, a 
21-year-old Shan woman who now has Aids. Years ago, Lah's mother told 
her if she wanted to build a house for the family, she should go to work 
"like others". "At first, I got angry at my mother. But she cried and 
complained that I wouldn't sacrifice anything for the family. So I 
decided to work in a brothel. Now everyone at home asks me for money. My 
brother never feeds the family," murmurred Lah.

"They don't know how much suffering I have to tolerate. Can anybody tell 
me what else Shan girls can do apart from selling their flesh?" As Thai 
sex workers head for richer pastures elsewhere in Asia and Europe, girls 
from Burma sneak into Thailand. Unlike other illegal immigrants from 
Burma who usually pass through Kanchanaburi, most of the sex workers use 
the Tachilek-Mae Sai route to enter the country.

The promotion of tourism in Keng Tung - a large city in Shan state - and 
of the Quadrangle Economic Zone, which comprises bits of Thailand, 
China, Burma and Laos, help strengthen the international sex trade 
rackets in this area, stated the Mahidol researchers.

Three-quarters of the Burmese women are accompanied by agents or 
acquaintances. Generally, they have to pay the agent's commission and 
travelling expenses themselves. The expenses can range from a few 
thousand to 30,000 baht. All too often, the girls fall into debt even 
before they start working. According to the research, the foreign girls 
usually began their jobs near the border for a period of time. When they 
get acquainted with the Thai language and people, the agents will bring 
them south.

The agents will put six or seven girls in a van or pick-up truck and 
travel from one brothel to another. Brothel owners pay the agents a fee 
for the girls of their choice, with the least beautiful being priced the 
lowest. The money is then deducted from the girls' earnings.

According to the Mahidol research, such rackets can exist only with the 
cooperation of the Thai authorities.

"We are confident that the police won't bother us. A police officer even 
accompanied us in our van," said Fah, a Burmese-Shan girl now working in 
a massage parlor.

Without such cooperation, procurers and sex workers would run into 
trouble with the law as the women are illegal workers as well as working 
in a prohibited trade.

"Even the work permit of illegal immigrants and also the temporary 
permit for stateless people can't protect these sex workers, although 
some pay a lot of money for these cards," said Dr Kritaya.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Picture: *>SEDUCTION TECHNIQUES 
------------------------------------------------------------------------


The alien prostitution problems are made more complicated by the fact 
that agents now use sophisticated methods to seduce foreign sex workers 
into the business.

"Currently, the agents don't force women into prostitution. Sometimes 
they lure the women into the fringe trade - like massage parlours or 
karaoke bars - and let various forces pull them into selling sex," said 
Dr Kritaya.

One strong force is the pull of money. When Payom, a Shan woman, decided 
to shift from 70-baht-a-day construction work in Bangkok to a 
traditional massage parlour in a nearby province, she thought the 
4,000-baht monthly pay would be enough without having to sleep with the 
customers.

A month later, the 34-year-old mother of three changed her mind as she 
found she had to spend a lot of money on looking good. She started 
having sex with her customers for additional income.

"Since I travelled this far, I want to make as much money as I can," 
said Payom.

In addition, the structure of some establishments make the women think 
they are not selling sex.

In traditional massage parlours where a lot of girls from Burma work, 
the women can say no to customers who want sex with them, so they think 
that they are not prostitutes.

"Since customers need to woo these girls before asking to sleep with 
them, the girls think they are sleeping with boyfriends, not customers. 
If they trust the man, they don't use a condom which makes them very 
vulnerable to Aids," added Dr Kritaya. Burmese girls working in Thailand 
are mostly poorly educated and ignorant and, therefore, have a high rate 
of contracting Aids. For example, many believe that taking a pill like 
Postinor after sex can prevent them from getting Aids and, thus, they 
need not use condoms.

In addition, their lack of Thai language skills, their constant moving 
about and short stays in the trade make them less likely to get 
Aids-prevention information and services from officials and NGOs.

"Because of the language problem, even those who know they have 
contracted Aids receive little information and counselling provided 
here," said the research. "While some continue to work in sex services, 
others return to their home country."

The researchers recommended that the Thai government, in cooperation 
with NGOs, aim to eradicate international sex rackets. Meanwhile, they 
should offer better treatment to the foreign sex workers already here 
and support the organisations campaigning against prostitution in 
neighbouring countries. 

Moreover, the government should protect the legal and human rights of 
these young women and, at the same time, push other ASEAN countries to 
see the international sex industry as a regional problem. 

"The authorities and those involved should take serious action right now 
before it is too late," emphasised Dr Kritaya. If not, the sad tales of 
Srima, Lah, Payom or Soy, will be told again and again as more and more 
foreign girls come to Thailand to seek their fortunes.

MATHIDA'S STORY




A sacrifice for the family



If Mathida's lifetime experience could be swapped for an academic 
degree, the Burmese woman would probably be awarded a PhD. After years 
of hard work and struggle, however, 27-year-old Mathida has instead got 
HIV.

Before political chaos arose in Burma, Mathida lived a happy life in 
Keng Tung in Shan State. She graduated from primary school and then, at 
the age 14, married a Burmese soldier. The young wife gave birth to a 
daughter before the couple separated.

Mathida remarried and then moved to Tachilek with her mother's new 
family. Her second husband is a gambler and a drunkard. He once sold her 
to a brothel in Chiang Mai to pay a debt. She worked there for a month, 
after which she returned home and forgave him.

Later, civil war broke out in Shan State, and this political turbulence 
was matched by disruptions in Mathida's own family. Her stepfather 
became seriously ill, and Mathida's mother told her to find some 
much-needed money. The obedient daughter realised that the only way she 
could earn any cash was to become a sex worker, and decided to work in a 
brothel in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai.

Mathida asked for an advance of 10,000 baht from her boss. A month 
later, before she could repay this first debt, her mother asked her to 
send another sum of money. As time passed, she owned more and more.

As these debts mounted, Mathida could not imagine how long she would 
have to work to pay them all off. Day by day, her body became weaker and 
weaker.

The reason was that her blood was infected with HIV, a fact of which she 
was unaware. A language barrier kept her from approaching Thai officials 
who might have helped her, but fortunately the research group from 
Mahidol University found her and tried to negotiate with the brothel 
owner to let Mathida return home. Informed that she had HIV, the owner 
agreed, but the researchers had to pay 3,500 baht to cover Mathida's 
debt.

Mathida was very happy to go home. Despite her worsening health and 
meagre savings, she spent a lot of money on toys for her child, clothes 
for her sisters, and also a cassette player for the whole family.

The Burmese woman was determined never to work again as a prostitute, 
but she had very few choices. Her step father died, and her large family 
needed someone to earn money to feed them. That person had to be 
Mathida.

At first, she worked for a short period as a waitress at a bar in 
Tachilek. Her 2,000-baht-a-month salary, however, was not enough to 
provide for all eight family members.

Within a few weeks, Mathida had to break her promise to herself. Now she 
is heading for Malaysia. Her second husband found this work for her, and 
her family has received a large cash advance. This means Mathida has 
already fallen heavily into debt.

The Mahidol researchers never had a chance to talk to Mathida about her 
illness, and she has no idea what she will face in the future.

But for the education of her daughter, the happiness of her mother, and 
the welfare of the whole family, she is ready to endure it.




<Picture: *>Kham Euay's and Mathida's stories are based on information 
from in- depth interviews in a paper titled "The Passage of Women from 
Neighbouring Countries to the Sex Trade in Thai land" published by Dr 
Kritaya Archavanitkul and Ponsook Kertsawang in May 1997.



MATHIDA'S STORY






Fly away, little bird

"I wish I were a small bird so I could fly as far as I desire. I'd laugh 
at those big, clumsy ones who are too heavy to fly," said Kham Euay, a 
19-year-old Tai Lue girl from Burma.

"But right now, I can go nowhere," she lamented.

Four years ago, Kham Euay, then 15, left her home in a small town in 
Shan State, despite her mother's objections. An uneducated country girl 
like her, she thought, could not pursue any kind of profession that 
would make as much money as being a sex worker.

"I wanted to build a comfortable house for my mother and send my younger 
sister to school. That's all," recalled the dutiful daughter who is 
currently working in a brothel in central Thailand.

Kham Euay started working in a teahouse in Bangkok where she met several 
girls from her home town. Her "first time" with an old Chinese man 
earned her 15,000 baht. However, splitting it with the tea house owner 
reduced her share to 7,500 baht. Kham Euay sent all of it to her family.

>From then on, the girl earned 40 baht for each man she had sex with, and 
each day she had more than 10 customers. She saved an average of 8,000 
baht a month.

After working hard for eight months, Kham Euay decided to go home, as 
she believed she had made enough money. However, she re-entered the 
business six months later. She explains: "I could make no money at home. 
I had already done this kind of job, so I had nothing else to lose, did 
I?"

Kham Euay's journey to the south started again. At first, she worked in 
a karaoke bar in Chon Buri. She then became a call girl in Bangkok's 
Saphan Khwai area. This time she was not so lucky. The girl fell ill, 
infected with a sexually transmitted disease. To quell her fear of Aids, 
she had a blood test. The doctor told her that her blood was positive, 
but when Kham Euay asked whether that meant she had Aids, he didn't 
answer.

The young woman then quit her job, returned home and married her Shan 
boyfriend. But married life soon turned bitter. Her in-laws could not 
accept an ex-prostitute into the family. The couple split months later. 
Kham Euay, therefore, took up the flesh trade for the third time.

She always worried that she might be infected with HIV as she was 
continuously ill. She often got the flu, her hair fell out and nodules 
kept popping up on her limbs.

"Why didn't the doctor tell me whether I had Aids or not? I have dreams 
I want to pursue, but he left me in uncertainty. I need to know to have 
more control of my life. I want to go home," the Tai Lue girl said.

Although she wanted to re-unite with her family, Kham Euay did not want 
to return empty-handed. She planned to stay in the business for a year 
to save up a sum of money.

"My hometown is the best place. I can breathe in the fragrant air. When 
thirsty, I can ask neighbours for water. Thailand is not a paradise as 
everybody thought. For me, it's a nightmare," she revealed.

Kham Euay has recently been informed that she is indeed infected with 
the Aids virus. However, it is not her own health that she's most 
concerned about, but her elderly mother's.

"Can I still cook for my mum? Can I wash her clothes? Will doing that 
infect her?."

Although she has paid all her debts, Kham Euay intends to continue 
working. She now uses a condom every time she has sex. However, her 
illness hinders her from making as much money as she desires.

"Some days I just feel too ill to work. At times, I have lesions all 
over my body, and customers find that unappealing."

But she is determined to go home by the end of this year.

"I never blame anybody for this disease. It was me who wanted to seek my 
fortune here. But I'll never let my sister come to Thailand. I'm afraid 
she'll be lost. And too often we can't correct the wrongs we have done. 
But life is always like this, isn't it?"











































































































































































































































































































































































































































































"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."



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