Tourist Police unit to combat child sex tourism
 

ANJANA Gamage

COLOMBO: A special tourist police unit will be established shortly at the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) to combat child sex tourism in the country.

This was disclosed yesterday by the Tourist Board officials and the SSP Crimes (Women and Children's Bureau) Jagath Keenawinna at an advocacy meeting held together with 40 high ranking police officials at the SLTB.

According to Keenawinna, 1,800 child exploitation cases have been reported to the bureau in 2004.

"The Police Department has no special tourist unit to deal with the subject at present. Therefore it is very essential and timely to establish a special tourist unit in Colombo. There are tourist police posts starting from Mannar to Tangalle. But some of them are not functioning very well. However the bureau of women and children is doing its best to eradicate the menace from the country," he said.

He also pointed out that the Police Department is taking strong action against all those culprits, noting that child sex tourism is taking place not only in the coastal belt but also in historical sites of Polonnaruwa, Medirigiriya and Anuradhapura.

The crime head also pointed out that child abuse has a real connection with HIV/Aids. "I have participated in an Aids seminar. It was revealed that South Africa and India are the two countries with the highest number of Aids cases. But according to a survey in Sri Lanka, about 6000 Aids cases have not been reported", he said.

Viktor Nylund- Head of Child Protection Unit of UNICEF said that about 10,000 to 20,000 children are involved in child sex tourism (CST) in Sri Lanka.

"It is very important to understand where those culprits are coming from and police can play a vital role in combating CST. No one can address this issue alone. All responsible authorities have to work together to overcome it," he said.

Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board Udaya Nanayakkara said that the sexual exploitation of children in tourism has become a major problem. It has been also identified as a global phenomenon adversely impacting millions of children each year, violating children's fundamental rights.

He also pointed out the vital role that can be played by the travel professionals in the industry and law enforcing officers to combat CST. He also pledged that the SLTB is ready to provide infrastructure facilities to tourist police unit to combat CST.

Director General of the SLTB, S. Kalaiselvam presented the objectives of the national action plan to combat the child sex tourism.

Making use of the existing mechanism, setting up new tourist police posts, exploring new ways and means of identifying suspects were among the other main points highlighted at the meeting by other high ranking police officers.

Second Secretary of the British High Commission in Sri Lanka Martin Joss and the Consultant UNICEF for SLTB, Mihiri Fernando were also present.

A national action plan with a firm resolve to combat child sex tourism in Sri Lanka, zero tolerance on child exploitation in the country will come into effect in March and it will be implemented by the UNICEF along with the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) and the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) with the assistance of the government and other private sector institutions.