Asian sex tours draw community concern

Thursday, December 3, 1998

Asian sex tours draw community concern

LECTURE: Presentation promotes awareness of women’s
exploitation

By Andy Shah

Daily Bruin Contributor

Students and community activists concerned with women’s rights
presented an information session on "Asian sex tours" on Tuesday,
saying these tours exploit women and children in Asia.

Sex tours take men to Asian countries, like the Philippines and
Thailand, and direct them to bars where they seek out sexual
partners. The tours attract clients from around the world.

Students and community activists said these tours exploit and
abuse women.

"In a foreign city, men can abuse women and children," said
Maryann Szyskowski, a fourth-year women’s studies student and a
member of Captive Daughters, a women’s rights organization.

The presentation was organized by students in the Asian Pacific
American Leadership Development Program, a two-quarter course
focusing on building leadership through projects and
internships.

"It is a complex and challenging topic, but we wanted people to
be aware of it," said Nguyen Phan, a sixth-year political science
student.

Students presented clips from the TV program "Leeza," which did
a special on sex tours, and community members gave speeches at the
event.

Activists said many women become prostitutes in these countries
because they face poverty and have to support themselves and their
families.

"People justify sex tourism by saying that it’s a product of
poverty, but it’s hurting and exploiting the women," Szyskowski
said.

Jenny Stanger, media coordinator of Captive Daughters, said the
tour operators bank on the "exoticization" of Asian women by
claiming that they have "ancient sex secrets."

"Men persuade themselves that sex is part of their culture and
they are just a more amorous people," she said. "But the
Philippines, for example, is a Catholic country, and this type of
behavior isn’t practiced by most women."

Stanger added that globalization has affected the situation.

"For example, a lot of the guys who go to these girls are
American military men who are there on rest and recreation leave,"
she said.

The "Leeza" clips gave examples of the lives of prostitutes.

Josephine, who works in the famous Pilipino red-light district
of Olongapo, said in a "Leeza" clip that her daily routine
consisted of prostituting herself at night, going to sleep, waking
up in the afternoon, taking a bath and going back to work
again.

She said that bar owners take big cuts out of the women’s
incomes.

And she recently discovered that she has HIV.

"I wanted to commit suicide," Josephine said.

Glenda, who also works in Olongapo, told "Leeza" that poverty
pushed her into prostitution.

"I hate to work in the bars, but what can I do?" Glenda
said.

But some tour operators said that not all companies provide sex
tours.

Bill McKnight, operator of Asian Flower Tours, said that his
company provides tours of the Philippines and helps men find
potential wives, but does not operate sex tours.

"It would increase my profits to do sex tours, but it’s against
my moral convictions," McKnight said. "And if a guy wanted to have
sex, I don’t understand why he doesn’t just go to Las Vegas instead
of halfway around the world."

Stanger said that to combat the problem, Captive Daughters
organized strikes at Los Angeles International Airport and
letter-writing campaigns.

The group is also trying to get the Ventura-based Philippine
Adventure Tours, which allegedly organizes sex tours, shut down by
filing a civil suit charging the company with false
advertising.

"If we can get one shut down, it’ll be easier to shut most of
them down," Stanger said.

Szyskowski said that the Internet, where many men get
information about the tours, should be regulated to ban this type
of information.

Equality Now, a New York-based group that spearheaded the effort
to shut down these companies, recently got Norman Barabash,
operator of Big Apple Oriental Tours, banned from the
Philippines.

Stanger said that it will be "very difficult" to shut these
companies down.

"There’s only so much we can do," she said. "It’s really hard to
get evidence to prosecute anybody because women and children are
often afraid to testify."

Stanger said that conditions in the Philippines are not
improving.

"Things are not getting better there," she said.

But she said that the American government has made attempts to
address the problem. President Clinton formed a council that is
working on this issue.

Kei Nagao, Undergraduate Student Association Council general
representative and member of the leadership class, said the issue
affects Americans.

"When it’s our military men going there and having sex with
these women, only we can say something about it," Nagao said.MARY
CIECEK

The Asian "sex tour business" was the topic of discussion for a
Asian Pacific American leadership class.

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