Child Sex: Awareness for taxi drivers

The Sri Lanka Tourist Board-UNICEF project on Combating Child Sex Tourism conducted an awareness raising program for over 150 3-wheel drivers at the Goldi Sands Hotel in Negombo recently.

Picture shows a sticker being placed on a vehicle

Organised in partnership with the Tourist Police and the Negombo Hoteliers Association, the program emphasised the harm done to children used by both local and foreign tourists for sexual purposes. “We have the capacity to set an example for other tourist destinations around our country; by working together we can create a quality tourist destination in Negombo,” said S. Cruz, President of the Negombo Hotelier’s Association. Similarly the OCI of the Negombo Tourist Police highlighted the recent increase in fines for procurers of women and children as prostitutes.

Both individuals encouraged the three wheel drivers to establish a legitimate business that enhances Negombo’s image as a top destination of visitors to and within Sri Lanka.

Mihiri Fernando, UNICEF Consultant to the project presented the harm done to the children and also emphasised its impact on the rest of their lives. “We have a duty to safeguard all the children of Sri Lanka as they are the future of our country” she said.

The session ended with the issuance of vehicle stickers in both Sinhalese and English alerting riders that Sri Lanka has a zero tolerance policy towards Child Sex Tourism.

A similar programme was conducted at the Bandaranaike International Airport Taxi Stand for over 300 three wheel drivers, chauffeurs and tour operators.