We, the participants, representing 17 countries from Asia, Pacific, North America, and Europe came together in a workshop held in Pattaya, Thailand on May 2-June 1, 1992. This workshop was conducted to examine the patterns of the migration of women, sex tourism and prostitution, as results of the interplay between internal factors such as structural poverty, landlessness, indebtedness, the crises of values in religions and cultures, external factors such as global market forces, capitalist profit, and militarization, both on the national and international levels.
During the workshop, we saw and we listened to the stories of the people in the villages and urban areas. We heard their cries and this created a deep impression in us. The realities of this experience have enabled us to recognize that we are also part of the system which oppresses them. We cannot keep quiet as we, in the process of awareness, are being evangelized. Thus we have to echo their cries as well.
We came to the conclusion that issues concerning women, especially migration and sex tourism, are complex ones related to socio-cultural, economic and political spheres.
We therefore recognize
that:
• the internationalization of forced migration, prostitution and sex tourism has affected and will affect millions of women and children in many regions of the world today, especially, in Asia;
• certain cultural beliefs and expectations concerning women and children's family roles have pushed them to migrate in order to take on jobs, even in dehumanizing conditions, to maintain their families;
• suffering, pain and deep violence are the daily lot of women who are trapped in a system of exploitation called prostitution;
• more and more children are forced into dehumanizing situations, such as prostitution and bonded labor, causing lasting physical and psychological scars;
• loneliness, disillusionment, family breakdowns and other psycho-social problems, as well as physical abuse, indebtedness and further impoverishment are some of the effects of forced migration;
• there are millions of people suffering from the pandemic of AIDS in many parts of the world oftentimes as a result of sex tourism and prostitution;
• prostitution does not exist without the active involvement and consent of the patriarchal system that exercises violence and power, and includes policymakers, implementors, agents, tourist establishment owners and sex tourists. "Rest and recreation" (R&R) for the military which victimizes and dehumanizes women and men is inherent in the prevailing structures of power; and,
• forced migration, sex tourism and prostitution deny human rights and respect for the dignity of the human being.
We hereby express our deep concern and solidarity with all the victims of forced migration, sex tourism and prostitution.
We strongly believe in the potential of women and men to change the present situation.
We have been exposed to the lives of the oppressed who are moving from darkness to light. Passing from our own darkness to certain light, we are journeying with our people with unconditional love and solidarity.
In view of the above, we hereby recommend the following:
- that APHD continues and heightens its commitment to women's concerns at all levels and in all publications, and pays special attention to religion and culture as they have a strong influence in the lives of the people;
- that the local church committees, local bishops conferences and the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) seriously consider the outcome and recommendations of this workshop;
- that women in and outside the church work cooperatively together and dialogue with men to work towards integral human development;
- that we commit ourselves and our organizations to clarify our concepts of family within the context of individual human rights and to make this known, especially during the international Year of the Family as declared by the United Nations;
- that the national and international bodies, the policy-making bodies, the NGOs and the funding agencies emphasize sustainable and gender-sensitive development;
- that our national governments enforce legal action against the promoters of the international flesh trade and safeguard the dignity and rights of the human being and,
- that we disseminate the information on issues related to our workshop as widely as possible.
Asia Partnership for Human Development Workshop on Migration, Women, Sex Tourism and Prostitution. Pattaya, Thailand, 2 May - 1 June 1992
From: Women, Migration and Sex Tourism. Santos, Alda F. and Lynn Lee. (eds)Awake2. Manila:NASSA 1992