Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh (left) and Saksit Phothisit, the mayor’s
PR man, co-chair the opening of a seminar about human trafficking.
Manoon Makpol
Pattaya officials joined Cambodian government workers
and staffers from various United Nations-affiliated organizations in a
brainstorming session aimed at eradicating and preventing human
trafficking here.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh chaired the Jan. 28
meeting, noting Pattaya has worked vigilantly to stamp out trafficking
of illegal sex workers and laborers. But even after victims are found
and sent home, they often return, again lured into servitude by the
prospect of big money for their families.
Ronakit said a new plan needs to be devised to keep
those deported from Thailand from returning.
While trafficking of fishermen, day laborers and
beggars remains a problem, last month’s meeting focused mostly on the
trafficking of children, who predominantly end up the sex trade. Ronakit
said the city has set up a committee to study child-trafficking
prevention.
One proposal is to have child-protection experts
patrol with police to identify and aid trafficking victims. The homeless
and beggars will be brought to shelters and any illegal aliens
identified will be referred to Immigration Police for immediate
deportation.
Police will also step up cooperation with
international law enforcement agencies to crack down harder on foreign
pedophiles, the deputy mayor said.