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by Talia Jayasekera

All they remember of the incidents are in flashes. Friendly `uncles' taking them to deserted houses. The pain and humiliation that follows as they carry out the dictated activities. The resulting confusion and anger once the activities are over. These are the emotional upheavals suffered by some of our Sri Lankan children with the seeming rise in child abuse and the influx of paedophiles to the country. The negative effects of tourism are seriously damaging our country.

Professor Harendra de Silva

Countries like Thailand, China and Vietnam are no strangers to child abuse at the hands of paedophiles. They have tried very hard to embellish a clean image but this is quite the contrary if one visits areas known as the `red-light' districts. Young angelic faces, painted and dressed up like dolls, selling their bodies and souls for a meagre $ 5. They know no other life.

Sri Lanka may now be facing the same predicament. The demand for child pornography and child prostitutes is staggering to say the least. In 1998, 600 advertisements, of a sexual nature, appeared on the Internet for Sri Lankan children! The local police are often unsure how to tackle the problem as it is so vast and widespread. They allege that 10,000 to 12,000 children from rural areas are trafficked and prostituted by organised crime groups to paedophiles staying at various seedy seaside hotels. Coastal districts of Bentota, Beruwala and Galle are hit the hardest due to poverty.

Children, as young as 10, can be seen roaming the beaches, where foreigners lay sunning themselves, looking for clients. Most often they find an ever-willing `uncle', who draws them in with promises of imported sweets and a few rupees.

What is even more distressing to realise is that it is the parents who sell their children to these paedophiles. For some it is a profitable business while others have to wrestle with their conscience. This unappealing flesh trade soon becomes the answer. Paedophiles identify these areas and flock to them like moths to the flame. But it is not their wings that are burnt. It is the young child who suffers a degrading life.

Surveys show that most often the abuse starts at home with 18% of children. Areas like Anuradhapura, Ratnapura and Chilaw showed high cases of rape and incest. Approximately 1181 and 1154 cases reported in 2000 and 2001 respectively. A study done 12 years ago estimated that there were 36,000 boy prostitutes in the country. By now that number would have tripled resulting in Sri Lanka being a paradise for child abusers.

Very recently, police raided a house, in Negambo, where a `blue film' was being produced using young children with adults. Some of the children were still in their school uniforms and had been drugged.

At present child abuse is a non-bailable offence with a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. The victims are eligible to compensation but very rarely are the criminals prosecuted. In 1998, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) was set up under the direct control of President Kumaratunga. The NCPA was given the authority to enter any premises, including hotels, that came under suspicion of child abuse. The NCPA have their own police officers and lawyers to combat this problem.

In 2000, the NCPA formed a `National Child Protection Action Plan' that focused mainly on the prevention of child abuse, increasing child protection, making legal reforms and strengthening law enforcement. It also dealt with child rehabilitation and reintegration. Under this plan, a `child abuse' desk was set up in various police stations for citizens to report any cases or suspicions. Police officers were trained on how to handle situations of abuse and exploitation. Chairman to the NCPA Professor Harendra de Silva has been in the forefront in this campaign against child abuse.

"The NCPA has numerous functions but what I believe to be the most important is the creating of awareness and advocacy. Creating skills with professionals like psychologists and counsellors, making legal reforms which means advising the Government and monitoring pending cases in courts as well as receiving information on abuse that is taking place. Also the protection and rehabilitation of children with the co-ordination of the Government and the involved ministries as well as the NGOs".

"If there is an instance of reported child abuse, then we assist the local police when raiding a house. If we get a direct complaint, then we have our own officers and we carry out our own investigations", he said.

"In the beginning, the local authorities felt we were invading their territories but we did manage to solve this problem by including them in our campaigns. The NCPA Board consists of many contacts from various ministries. We have the Labour Commissioner on our Board as well as the D.I.G of Crimes. Also the Senior Assistant Secretaries of the Ministries", said Prof de Silva.

"I would not say that child abuse has increased in this country. People believe this to be because all of a sudden there has been an increase in the cases reported. I call this the iceberg phenomenon. Before the abuse was hidden and only part of it could be seen. But now with awareness increasing, people are beginning to open their eyes to what's going on. It seems like an increase but it is actually present cases coming to light".

"In 1995, Act No 22 of the Penal Code was amended and deals with children and women issues. But in certain areas, it needs to be strengthened to improve the definition of `child trafficking' and we do not have much legislation against internet crime", he said. "Another problem we have is foreign paedophiles entering the country unknown to the authorities. The Embassies do not inform us because they believe in individual rights. In most cases, they too do not know the person is a convicted paedophile.

These people enter the country on a 2 week visa and do as they please. Before it was in the open but now it has gone underground. Certain unscrupulous people supply the children to these paedophiles in secluded areas. We use decoys and tip-offs to bust these rings", he said.

"I have also found that the public and some people in the media seem to support and protect paedophiles. I'm not accusing anyone directly but when rich paedophiles throw their money around in this country, then he has allies. They justify their actions by saying that it is the parents who sell their children to paedophiles. That is how they survive! Instead of supporting our cause, they look for monetary compensation. In the case of Matthew Kelly, it is all very suspicious.

I will not give the verdict but what other conclusion can the public draw when a British citizen buys land worth RS 1 million and then spends a further RS 7 million to a build a house for a young boy, who is now a man. And then pays him RS 40,000 a month to look after this house!", said Prof de Silva. "At present, we are investigating the case. If we find him guilty of the charges, then we will file a case against him to be prosecuted in Sri Lanka.

"The NCPA along with many NGO's, for the past five years, have carried out poster campaigns and I have personally appeared on talk shows. The newest campaign to be launched is with UNICEF and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). Also another program known as the `Child Rights' program has been launched in collaboration with ANCL", said Prof de Silva. "We do our best for children who have suffered different forms of abuse.

But we do have weak areas because counsellors and psychiatrists are not properly trained to handle abuse cases. We are now working with the Probationary Child Care Unit and training fifteen counsellors. We also include the family when helping these children", he said.

The various forms of child abuse, in the world today, gives us a startling glance to what depths of immorality society has sunk to. Those whose lives are filled with drugs, sex and corruption are now seeking new avenues of excitement. It seems that the innocent have been caught in this vicious cycle. They are suffering at the hands of people who exploit their improvised lives with promises of treasures. For these children, they know no better. Instead of turning a blind eye, should we not be the ones to drive away their demons and end these atrocities?

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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