From: ssg9328@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Samart Srijumnong)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Re: Prostitution, child selling and Phra Wet Sandorn- a survey
Date: 13 Dec 92 20:14:16 GMT
Distribution: soc
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

Following the discussion of Khun Tawit and Khun abi on prostitution the
Buddhist context reminds me of a symposium presentation where the reader
linked Buddhism with prostitution and asked why such dominantly Buddhist
country like Thailand the prostitution has prevailed.

Many from the audience took turn in making comments most of which defending
Buddhism. I agree with some of them. To me religion is simply a prototype 
of moral life. In most religion, morality is substantiated to an extreme
degree to put sacred in the other side of the continuum as opposing to
the profane side. 

Prawetsundorn story is a good example. His story is provide an extreme form
of detachment. It is metaphore than real. What we, as Buddhist, should take
from it is not an exact copy of PWS's action. We should see it as a pure
form of Dana (Thaan). 

In the context of prostitution in which the dialogue between Khun Tawit and
Khun Abi has been on, PWS story, IMO, does not apply. If it is true that 
those girls' parents are agreeable to let their daughterst to become P,
their decision is non-comparable to that of PWS who gave away his beloved
ones to ChuuChOk. He did not get any materials in return except to prove
his absolute detachment. Now remember, he is a creation. We should not
humanize or personify him and find fault with him as if he is a humna parent. 
Otherwise the point that the story is intended to pass will never touch our 
mind. 

During one of my trips to the villages in northern Thailand, I asked one of
the parents in the area well-known for letting their daughter to become
prostitute what he felt about it. He did not seem to have clear idea of what
his daughter was doing in Bangkok. The girl said she got a job and made 
some mony, he said. While talking with him, I didn't notice any sign of
mentally sickness and anything in him. He was st an average Thai parent
who care about his/her offsprings. He might eventually learn that his
beloved little girl had chosen to become prostitute. He would be upset, I
believe but wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Prostitution is no
ordinary profession that one can come in and get out anytime she wants. 
It is an enterprise if not organized crime. These complexity is not 
necessarily known to the prostitutes themselves, not to mention the parent. 

Economic factors are significant in leading one to enter this profession.
However, those factors need moral precondition. To me, the social order in
Thai society in pre-modernization era was based on commanded by moral 
authority. The social institutions that provide such moral rules are 
religion and family. When modern education came, the students are often
taught to look up to western societies and look down upon their parents 
who naturally have less education that them. "Scientific" findings often
contrast with traditional knowledge. The former is imposed by school while
the latter is strongly held by the parents and finally lost their children
to the former. Most religions are male dominated. Vallagers females are
protected by Phii+ while their male counterparts are by Pha". Buddhism
has been incorporated as part of national ideology. Many "good" monks
choose to be silent while the "bad" few are struggling against the trend. 

When traditional authorities (parent and phii) are defeated by modern
education, the children depend solely on education which is not prepared
to provide answers for evey problem including proverty. If a girl chooses
to become a prostitute as a way to overcome the problem, school is
indifferent. Religion chooses to dissociate. Other parents choose to 
ignore. Now it seems to the problem because the outside media jumps on
it. 

Discussion alone does not lead to anywhere as far as the solution is 
concerned.  We need some actions. Some of us who have started project 
in area where prostitutes are concentrated which is know as EMPOWER 
which focuses on the prostitutes to be able to learn how to protect 
their interests, i.e. health, money, human rights, and the likes, have 
set a good model of how to deal with the problem. At least those who are males
should realize that this is a social problem and cease to patronize the
profession. As a voter, one can put pressure on his/her politicians to
put this problem in the top of agenda.  It may be too late to recue those
who are now practising the profession but we should be able to save their
daughters and younger sisters. The government needs to review its investment
promotion program if such investment has basic element of sex industry. 
Police and other government officials who are paid to protect this 
enterprise should be eradicated. All these actions are only sample of
things we can do if we are serious about the problem. The problem is
"Are we ready?"

Samart
Dec 13, 1992