Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Wed, 14 Oct 1992 15:58:02 PDT
From:         "(Coban Tun)" <tun@QUARK.SFSU.EDU>
Subject:      Burma/Thailand: Burmese women in Ranong

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

We would like to inform you the situation of Burmese women prostitutes
in Ranong, the southern border town of Thailand.

According to the confirmed news sources, there have been a few Burmese
women already working as prostitutes in Ranong, but since 1989 the number
has become increased.

The prostitutes come from different parts of Burma.  They can be divided into
three categories First group includes those who professionally work
for prostitution.  The second group holds the women who voluntarily
become to work as prostitutes only for individuals or family survival.
And the third category indicates those who are persuaded and sold
to work for forced prostitution.

In Ranong, Toyota Hotel is famous for professionals.

Arrival to Ranong

1st group firstly come to Kaw Thaung ( Victoria Point),
the southern border town of Burma.  Some of their identity
cards were kept by Kaw Thaung authorities.  To pass the border
officially in order to go back home, the IDs are primarily needed.
Therefor they had to present sexual entertainment to the
authorities for return of their ID cards.

When they reached Ranong they went to the brothels and started
working.  They received high in come and are all owed to go
around freely.

2nd group

This group voluntarily contact to the brokers and asked for being
sold to work as prostitutes.  The Brokers gave some amount of
money to their families in advance, and brought them to the
border. The brokers have an unofficial agreement which is
to give them under table money for border pass.

Then the brokers sold them to brothel owners.  They are not
allowed to go out.

3rd group:

They were persuaded by the brokers as they would get jobs in cities
such as Rangoon.  Most of them are from the country side. However,
they were directly brought to Ranong brothels, sold and forced
to work for prostitution.

The rate of selling a Burmese woman in Ranong is from 3000 to
10,000 Bhats.They are not allowed to go outside at all.

For the 2nd and 3rd group: brothels are just like prisons. The
average age of those women runs between 14 and 40 years, and some
pregnant women were even sold.  They are fed prepared meals every
day, named by digits, and have to work for both day and night
rotationally.

If the broker sold them by 500 Baht, for example, they automatically
owed that money from the brothel owner.  Therefore, they had
to work for the owner for that amount of money at first, and
after that some of them get paid partially from their wages by
the owners, but the others do not get paid at all.

They are given injections once per every three months to prevent
from pregnancy.  When the pregnancy occurs, it is terminated.
It does not matter whether those pregnant women agree for
the termination; it is for sure to have it done by force.

If the time is to late for abortion, some one can go in to the
owners and ask for the exchange of those 7 or 8 month pregnant
women by 8000 to 10,000 Baht. Still it cannot be possible
unless the women work for the prostitution until they are
6 months pregnant.

If not, they are unwillingly allowed to give birth, but the babies
are taken to be sold.  A week after giving birth, they have to
restart working as receptionist or cook or cleaner.  Some brothel
owners bring a Thai doctor and a nurse, who speaks Burmese for
the women to have regular medical check up. But the others
do not allow the women to have regular medical check up. But
the others do not allow the women to have a check up at all
unless serious problems occur. Even in menstruation period
they are not allowed to take rest, but are forced to keep
working.

When they refuse to have meal or have sex with visitors, they
are at least beaten by metal or wooden sticks until bleeding.
Worse treatment is given when they try to escape.

Moreover there is a regular arrest of Burmese women prostitutes
from the Brothels by Ranong police for being illegal. The owners
choose seven or ten women who do not obey them for the arrest
first, and then give money to the police for the release.

Best men of the owners wait for the women on their way
to be deported to Kaw Thaung, stop the boat, threaten the
women by guns, and bring back to the brothels.

Their situation is terribly bad.  They have very few.
knowledge about Sexual transmitted Diseases, and AIDS
as well.

In May, 1992 AIDS Education & prevention program funded by
World Vision Organization (AUSTRALIA) started running by the
cooperation of World Vision (THAILAND) and Ranong Provincial
Health Department.There are 8 members in the working committee
of the project; two of them work for World Vision (THAILAND).

The AIDS Education & Prevention program has three objectives:to
educate the prostitutes, fisher men, and public health
department staff.  The project plans to be extended in Mae
Saing and Mae Sot as well.

According to the women interviewed in Ranong those who were
assumed as having AIDS were taken by the guards, and since then
they disappeared.

By the result of the Thai government research of December,
1991, 99 out of 200 prostitutes who we re examined were
found as HIV po sitive. And 73 of them Burmese nationalities.
14.5% of fishermen were resulted as HIV positive.

The program includes a training course for the Burmese
women prostitutes who are not allowed to go out even for
the medical check up, which is to pick up a peer leader
in each small group, and then the trainees will reeducate
the rest in the brothels.

However, because of the recent arrest by Bangkok police to
rescue the Burmese women, the program is being postponed.
Most of the brothels are closed in Ranong in the meantime.
An official announcement of Ranong authorities is there will
be 6 month detention in jail for the men if they are found
in the brothels visiting the prostitutes.

Recently there is a brothel op ened in Kaw Tahung by the
permission of district authorities. The reason is to save
the money of those Burmese fishermen and construction
workers. Instead of spending Thai currency for Burmese women
prostitutes, it is much cheaper if they have to use only the
Burmese currency in Kaw Thaung. Up to now ,there are about
30 women legally working as wYeik Nyain which is an extended
township in Kaw Thaung.

Recommendations

This horrible situation has happened to the Burmese women because of the
economic deterioration in Burma. The increased number of those women after
the military government shows how difficult the daily life of Burmese
in the present.

Even the professional prostitutes expressed their feelings that they will
never go back to Burma unless the military government hands over power to
the civilians. They said under the military they will be starved to death.
Their only concern is daily survival. In fact, they want to go back home,
but the situation does not favor them.

Their fate is completely uncertain. We are really concerned of their future.
We would like to call for your attention to help those women in terms of
coming out from that horrible situation.

Thank you very much for your attention and consideration.

Sincerely
yours,...

BSCSA/PW
AU/92.
Information Section

Burmese Students' committee for Social Affairs Bangkok, Thailand
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU