No one talks about the female Paedphile, Why is that?

Back on topic the word Paedophile is not used in any Asian language.

Its common knowledge that Asian men have sex with young children in any Asian village and its just accepted. The problem is a lot worse in Thailand than it is in Cambodia

The link below is to an Australian Parliamentary Joint Committee looking into paedophiia, and the section addressing the issue of definitions and legal basis (none). There may be more recent work, but it would be hard to refute the authority of such a committee even a bit dated.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/acc_ctte/completed_inquiries/pre1...

It explains for me why the term 'paedophile' is not used in any/most (?) legislation, including in Cambodia.

Back to the Asian cultural thing. When I discussed this with my Western educated Khmer wife, she simply said that it's been historically normal for a lot of Asian men to want to have sex with young girls - virgins. I think most of us know this anyway. So yes, it is an Asian cultural thing. But sex with a pre-pubescent child is another thing, and perhaps the label 'paedophile' in the West is not strong enough - hence the term 'child sex offender/molester', which conveys the more sinister nature of the crime.

Still, none of this explains the Daily's, or other Cambodian/Asian media's, discriminatory use of the term.

Apologies for rambling. It's an emotive issue and one in which I've only had a deep interest since coming face-to-face with that convicted paedophile, Alan Arthur Perry, one year ago.

Casey, interesting article, thank you for pointing this out.

Power & Money are behind it. The powerful in Cambodia have the money so who will stop them? NGO's and foreign law enforcement are given briefs by Cambodian law enforcement and told by their embassies that this is the bottom line and dont rock the boat with the Cambodians. NGO's just want make sure they have the funding from donors to continue their Landcruiser tour of Cambodia. Which means at the end of the day nobody really cares what the Bongs do in their own country, as long as I get my PHD level salary, and the Landcruiser gets me to the Riverhouse on Friday night so I can cut one out of the heard for the night, back at my lavish apartment or villa.

Interesting point Casey. As we know, a person convicted of child sexual abuse in the West is automatically labeled a paedophile. But here I too have never seen a Khmer labeled as a paedophile.

Violet's question about cultural differences is also interesting, but this misses the real point, which is about the discriminatory use of the term 'paedophile' as labeled by the Cambodia Daily against convicted foreigners only. Cambodia's previous law involving child sexual abuse called it 'debauchery' - possibly a French thing!! So, maybe there is a cultural thing about the label.

Or, it might simply be the express view of the Daily's Publisher!!

Either way, it would be a good thing for all persons convicted of child sexual abuse to be labeled the same. Maybe Cambodia just needs to come of age on this issue.

That the motivation behind child abuse could be different from the westerners, in a society where sex only happens in a marriage, compared to free sex in the west, where cheating is also easy if you want a bit on the side, without paying... But what do I know?

I think there are two types of Khmer, those that use children to satisfy their sexual needs and "true" paedophiles - but because the issue is complex, paedophilia is not recognised as a Khmer trait, the same way than Queen Victoria I (of England) did not accept lesbians to exist, while homosexuality was well recognised.

Is domestic violence and rape of a wife recognised in Cambodia? It once didn't exist in the West either, neither marrying a 14-year old, long time ago, was considered being pervert...

Hi ML

of course I'm not making excuses... I'm looking at it from a cultural perspective. Also, note well that I'm not claiming that it is not paedophilia, I'm merely wanting to have a discussion about it, based on how culture determines many different labels and behaviours.

I am actually capable of having a discussion (given the right environment).

Are you aware that the notion of alcoholism is not standard across all cultures and societies? Also the notion of when a person is an adult is different in many cultures and societies.

I'm just asking a question. Do you have anything more to say about it? Why 'must' it be the same?

V

Cmon violet,it must be the same thing musnt it?
Are you making excuses for khmer abusers?

I'll be brave and raise this question here:
don't shoot me down... I'm merely being open minded and hoping to have an educated discussion.... (like that will stop some of you!?)

I'm interested in the opinion of professionals/educators who may have views on this. We have different defiinitions of what is an alcoholic in different cultures. Is there a difference in what is paedophilia in different cultures?

Either way you look at it, children are being used by adults for their gain. But is there a psychological difference between a paedophile as we know of them in the West, and between a Cambodian (for instance) male, who uses the child for whatever psych reason, but perhaps not for the same reason a male from the western cultures would. I'm probably not explaining myself well. Don't attack me, ask me questions to help me explain what I mean more clearly. Without doubt the Cambodian children are being raped. Are they being used by paedophiles though?

interesting links to consider: http://girlshrink.com/the-cultural-norms-around-pedophilia/
http://family.jrank.org/pages/219/Child-Abuse.html
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=bI-Jau14aLAC&pg=PA486&lpg=PA486&dq=p...