It was around midnight when I jumped into a tuk-tuk (a colorful metal box built upon a rattling motorcycle) with a couple colleagues to explore Bangkok’s nightlife. Strong aromas from street food vendors filled the air while hundreds of tourists squeezed through the overcrowded sidewalks lined with little white tented stalls selling everything from fake Gucci bags to forgettable souvenirs.

• A rose seller poses for pictures in Bangkok's red light district. Photograph by Melissa Booth. •

The obvious concern that came to my mind was: How could this young kid selling roses be out this late at night, and especially in a place like this?

After visiting the Asia Foundation in Bangkok, I was completely unprepared for what I learned. One of their pamphlets described a similar situation in Chiang Mai, Thailand where children selling roses within the red-light districts become targets of another group of tourists. Sex tourists lure them in with large sums of money, and these children, motivated with the desire to make money for their family and the desensitization from working in the red-light district, will often give their consent.

In Cambodia, I did not see any obvious signs of red-light districts, massage parlors with girls waiting outside or kids selling roses. Instead there were dark alleyways off the main roads where you could barely see a few people just standing around waiting. Though sex tourism within Cambodia is hidden from average tourists, it is still accessible just outside the main cities, while in Thailand it blends in with the country’s overall culture. However, both of these countries are centers of source, transit and destination for trafficked persons.

Human trafficking victims are often desperate to support themselves and their families financially. Living in extreme poverty, many young children are forced out into the streets to beg or hawk, increasing their risk. This vulnerability, coupled with a strong presence of tourists, can easily provide the conditions for human trafficking.

In Bangkok we visited the Center for Protection of Children’s Rights (CPCR), a local Thai NGO working to protect victims. The center provides victims with jobs in their shelter, teaching them new skills to take back to their home country, or helping them obtain a temporary legal work permit to work in Thailand.

In Phnom Penh we visited World Vision, which focuses on the rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked victims back into Cambodia society. These rehabilitation efforts dig deep to attack the root causes of the problem. This healing process promotes activities that help kids feel like kids again, and provides help with their education, their relationship with their parents, and trust building.

Many of these organizations work only with female victims, but World Vision is starting a new project called “My Son.” There is a large gap in the availability and protections of male victims of human trafficking. We heard a saying at World Vision describing boys as gold and once dirty can be washed off and shine again, while girls are like a white cloth and are soiled and stained afterward.

As more reports of trafficked male victims surface, the more attention those victims will be able to receive. Thailand has recently passed new legislation which bans all forms of human trafficking, and has included labor trafficking and men within this category for the first time.

Human trafficking is a global issue. The problems of enforcing human trafficking laws and protecting male victims are improving, but still need significant work. Human trafficking must be fought from a variety of different angels: through the government, both by enforcing and creating laws and severe punishments for the perpetrators; society, by educating and advocating awareness of the problem in order to prevent any forms of acceptability; and individual, to improve the economic situations of those at risk so they don’t resort to the desperate measures that often lead to being victimized.

Brandon's blog entry is part of a two-part series written by WIP Contributor Pushpa Iyer's students. In the coming weeks, more entries will follow. Part I, "Legacy, Responsibility, Justice and Spirituality" will contemplate how Cambodia is coping with its painful past. Part II, "Identity, Sex Trafficking, HIV/AIDS and Property Rights" will explore some of the challenges modern-day Cambodia faces. – Ed.

A California native, Brandon Brunner is now pursuing his Master’s at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, specializing in Conflict Resolution. Returning from Cambodia, Brandon has continued to research the effects of global modern day slavery, namely human trafficking. Brandon obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University San Marcos, focusing on the Americas and Global Security. This summer Brandon will return to Chiang Mai, Thailand with The SOLD Project to volunteer with the Volunteer for Children's Development Foundation (VCDF) working with street children and survivors of human trafficking.