Wednesday, Nov 21, 2012
Tourists staying in Myanmar's ancient city of Bagan have been warned against committing sexual offences against children, an official from the Central Body for Suppression of Trafficking in Persons (CBTIP) said.
Since last month, warning signs have been posted in every hotel room in Bagan to let foreigners know that committing child sexual exploitation is a serious crime in Myanmar, the official who requested not to be named said.
As the country's hotel and tourism sector has been rapidly booming, the possibility of tourists taking advantage of children becomes higher, the official said.
German tour guide Than Tun Oo said foreigners who book their travels with a tour company and go around with a tour guide are less likely to commit such offences than those who travel independently.
"Now that the tourist police will be formed, they will not only help tourists but also supervise them," he said.
CBTIP also helps in preventing blacklisted tourists, known for committing child sexual offences, from entering the country.
"We received prior information that an Australian, who has records of committing sexual abuse against children under the age of 16, was planning to come to Myanmar via the Thai Airlines in October. We told the Thai Airlines that we won't allow him to enter Myanmar so we were able to stop him in Bangkok with their help," he said.
