How child sex tourists from Japan, China and beyond are stealing girls’ future in Laos

[Jim Burton]

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeas ... uture-laos

In a quiet corner of the Lao capital Vientiane, an unremarkable compound conceals a dark and exploitative operation.

Behind one door, a room resembling a junior school classroom is filled with girls, some perhaps as young as 10 years old.

An investigation has found that foreign men, including Japanese nationals, are among those who frequent such places for sex.
The child sex trade has become a pressing concern in Laos, where underground compounds operate discreetly but openly enough to be found through social media or word of mouth.

[...]

“I was born in a poor northern village in Laos and sold my virginity to a Chinese man for a large sum when I was 12 years old,” a girl, who is now 15, said.

“My older sister did the same, so there was no hesitation on my part to do so, too. After that, I moved to this village and started working here.”

At a different compound resembling a restaurant in the village, another girl who claimed to be 16 said, “I thought I’d be cooking and washing dishes here, so I was shocked (that I had to provide sexual services).

“I absolutely do not want my 10-year-old sister to work here. I want to be able to send her to school with the money that I earn.”