The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Leaving the Brothel Behind

BATTAMBANG, Cambodia

A year ago, a pimp handed me a quivering teenage girl. Her name was Srey Neth, and she was one of the hundreds of thousands of teenagers who are enslaved by the sex trafficking industry worldwide.

Then I did something dreadfully unjournalistic: I bought her.

Nichiolas Kristoff is a columnist for New york Times. I like reading him, he is sensible, rational and very readable. He did a story on prostitutes in Cambodia last year and followed it up this year too.
The story of these teenage girls is very saddening. He gave the girl some money and she started a small shop, the family became jealous and looted the whole shop. Can it get more pathetic? Now they are all hungry. Its like killing the golden goose. The girl became a prostitute in the first place to feed her family. That's the gratitude they have, by looting their daughter shop.

The girl Shrey Net in her store. nytimes

Prostitution is a very big problem in India. Its not only girls from poor background end up in these dark corners of the Society but rich and educated girls do this for the sake of quick money.
My friend sent me this video clip on a sting show in India. These guys were following the rumors which we always heard in India. The models and film actresses moonlight as prostitutes for very high price.
To cut a long story short after many tries they can't believe themselves that this new actress is in their hotel room selling herself. "why are you doing this, you have all the fame and money ?" the journalsit posing as a customer asks. "Easy money" that's its that's her answer.
Compare this actress and the little girl in Cambodia, the Combodian teenager sold her body so that she could feed her family and this actress sis doing so that she could make some quick money. I don't know what to say.
I feel sorry for these girls, who are sold and bought as commodity. Can we stop this from happening? I guess no, as they say it has been the oldest profession and there will sellers as long as there will be customers. A sad fact of life indeed. Atleast we could spare teenage girls from the misery.
I guess I am asking for a lot. It sure doesn't hurt to hope.