Add United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the list of people who understand that arresting and punishing sex workers is counter-productive in the battle against HIV/AIDS. And take the government of Cambodia off that list.

Add United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the list of

people who understand that arresting and punishing sex workers is

counter-productive in the battle against HIV/AIDS. And take the government of Cambodia off that list.

The

Global Working Group on HIV and Sex Work Policy wrote to Ban in June to

applaud his statement commending the findings of a March report that

favored decriminalizing sex work. The Report of the Commission on AIDS

in Asia noted that sex workers are part of the solution to preventing

the spread of HIV, and advised countries to "avoid programs that

accentuate AIDS-related stigma and can be counterproductive. Such

programs may include ‘crack-downs’ on red-light areas and arrest of

sex workers."

To express their gratitude for

this understanding, sex workers and advocates circulated a statement at

the June 11-12 UN High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS as Ban spoke to the

gathering in New York. "Sex workers thank [Ban] for his support of

their efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic," the statement said.

The

March report strongly advised countries to enlist sex workers in the

effort to prevent the spread of HIV. It included firm recommendations

against punitive measures targeting sex work and other frowned-upon

behaviors, on the grounds that such approaches have proven

counter-productive. The UN Secretary-General supported these

recommendations in his statement and sex workers everywhere are

grateful.

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Unfortunately, some governments

continue to deny reality.

Under pressure from the United States,

Cambodia outlawed prostitution in February. The government’s promotion

of a "no condoms, no sex" program in legal brothels there had

succeeded in reducing HIV infection rates, but now those brothels have

closed or gone underground, along with bars, karaoke clubs and street

areas. Hundreds of women have been arrested, jailed or displaced, while

dozens have been raped and beaten by police and prison guards. The HIV prevention and care programs that were working have collapsed.

The new law, ironically named the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Law, is a failure in every way. It encourages

trafficking and exploitation because it makes sex workers easier prey:

the workers can no longer seek clients in public and must depend upon

others to introduce them. Worse, police now use condoms as evidence of

prostitution, so sex workers can no longer use them. We can expect to

see HIV rates rise as a result.

The U.S. ambassador to Cambodia acknowledged in an article in The International Herald Tribune that

U.S. influence played a part in the passage of this dangerous law. The

annual U.S. Trafficking In Persons Report ranks countries on their

efforts to end the practice according to U.S. perception, with those

low on the list risking economic sanctions.

By passing the law,

Cambodia moved up from the "Tier 2 watch list" to "Tier 2" and thus

evaded sanctions. But

is U.S. aid worth the cost in sex workers’ lives and in lost ground

against HIV/AIDS?

Sex workers in Cambodia protested the new law on June

4, calling for repeal and an end to raids. "Don’t be fooled by talk of

rescuing ‘sex slaves’ until you have heard our testimonials and seen

video evidence of the brutality and misery this new law is causing,"

their statement said (watch the video below).

Sex

workers and their allies also protested the new law at the Cambodian

Mission to the United Nations in New York on June 11, during the

High-Level Meeting on AIDS. Further demonstrations are planned in the

United Kingdom and Australia.

Cambodian sex workers call for a repeal of the trafficking law passed by the Cambodian government under pressure from the US government.

UPDATE at 10:54am: Detained sex workers in Cambodia were released on June 24, 2008

Sex workers documented human rights abuses and sought local and international support in their campaign against these violations. Supporters have been invaluable. The next steps include continued support for changing the law that led to these abuses, as well as immediate care and assistance for those who were abused in detention.