N15 Wrong Belief

I have read in a journal about a research done in our country, that the people who marry at the youngest age are the Eastern Shans. Whether it is true or not I don’t know, but there is one thing concerning the Eastern Shans which is always on my mind and I want to tell people that their belief is not right and that it should be eliminated.

I have heard that in the eastern Shan States people believe that it is a noble thing to pay their gratitude towards their parents by selling their bodies. I don’t think that people who have some education will think like that, but only those who are ignorant, and do not have proper teachings will have that belief. So they are glad when a daughter is born into the family. The daughter, when she is about 14 or 15 will go into the trade. It is easy for them because the market is not far away. They have only to cross the border into Thailand and also into China.

The girls work as prostitutes and send home money which their parents use to build nice houses and buy cars and live well. Some parents use the money freely and do not even save.

But the daughter after getting H. I. V. comes home to die. I heard that they even spread the virus among the young men before they die. So young girls and young women are scarce in these areas.

I think we can say that this practice has spread to other parts of the Shan States, partly because there are not much way to earn livings and partly because the land is not peaceful. So, men and women alike are leaving for Thailand. Among these how many percent has gone into the skin trade (either by having been victims of trafficking or by their own decisions) we cannot know.

It is a pity that Shan girls have to die in this way. I presume that it is like this because the place is remote and education cannot reach these areas. So the officials should pay a special attention to this case and prevent the custom and belief before it is too late.