Svay Pak is an ethnic Vietnamese village located in the Russey Keo District of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Svay Pak is also called K11, an allusion to its 11-kilometer distance to Phnom Penh. Information about Svay Pak is sparse. In 1995, Svay Pak was almost completely destroyed by a fire. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, K11 was rebuilt. Interestingly, most messages relate to Svay Pak “after.” By “after,” I mean after 2005. In that year, Svay Pak was officially declared closed.
By 2005, Svay Pak had a population of about 5,000 or 6,000 inhabitants. It is estimated that more than 500 sex workers lived and worked there. The village essentially consisted of a wide street with houses built close together.
For decades, Svay Pak was a mecca of international child sex tourism. Men from all over the world met in K11 to pursue their love of sex with children. Most girls in Svay Pak were between 15 and 20 years old. Those who wanted a younger one usually had to wait only briefly and young girls were taken out of the back room. Vietnamese girls, some not even 3 years old, were sold here, abused and raped. Due to the strong demand, the trafficking of children had flourished, too. Every week, new girls were brought to Svay Pak to offer “boom-boom” (sexual intercourse) and “yum-yum” (oral sex). For $20 to $30, a child molester could abuse a child for one hour in a cramped and humid room in one of the many concrete buildings. For a virgin, men had to pay more. About $500 was required for a virgin, depending on the customer’s negotiation skills and demands. Because of the low prices and lax controls by the authorities, the number of customers was enormous. Involvement from high-ranking military officials and bribes ensured that brothel owners and customers were rarely arrested. Tips from officials about an impending raid were not unusual.
2005. My first visit to Svay Pak. With colleagues of a local non-governmental organization, I’m traveling by car to Svay Pak. Although the car is neutral on the outside, meaning there are no stickers or other evidence of an organization, we attract attention. No one wants to talk to us. 2005 is not a good year for the residents of this village, as many police officers and NGO’s have been here recently. Because of the great international pressure, the authorities are about to close this paradise for child molesters once and for all. I hear that in Svay Pak even Cambodians — not just foreigners — have abused children. On the walls of houses — or at least what is left of them — I see children’s drawings and Vietnamese writing.
2007. My second visit to Svay Pak. The children brothels are closed, or, at least it appears so. Not much is left of the former infamous “children’s village” of Svay Pak. It’s a ghost town. Where there was once brisk business in the cafes — sex with children apparently makes people hungry — today I received a gaping void and totally exaggerated prices. For my can of Coca Cola, I paid just under $5. Five dollars – the price that a man pays for a “short-time” session with a girl. In the middle of the road, two NGOs set up their offices and are showing a presence in K11. They deter potential customers, although their other job is to protect the remaining children. I start up a conversation with the cafe owner, an elderly lady who came decades ago from Vietnam to Cambodia. She tells me how great business used to be here. Everyday, buses arrived several times (!) from Phnom Penh full of foreign currency. Here, you had the selection of girls of all ages. Underage girls were especially popular. After their sexual activities, customers could re-energize themselves in one of the many cafes and talk about their experiences. Yes, those were the days, they tell me almost wistfully. I’d like to know if the store owners had a bad conscience or felt guilty about having made their sales to child molesters. It is disturbing, but business is business and the woman has to feed her family.
During the 3 hours I spent there, I saw no foreign tourists. At least I did not notice one. I want to know whether there are tourists coming to Svay Pak. Faint-heartedly, the woman says that some are coming here and there, but most are probably journalists and/or police officers. Why should tourists still come? Svay Pak is indeed closed. It says so on the Internet, too. Upon leaving, the old lady quietly added that it is also not good to come here so early in the afternoon. In the evening, the situation is quite different, she says. So I decided to come back to Svay Pak a few days later after dark. The driver is briefly frightened when I tell him the destination of the journey. He knows better places, as Svay Pak is closed. Nevertheless, we go to K11. Again, nothing.
2008. A year has passed and I am back in Cambodia. Again, I am on my way to Svay Pak, this time with success. With the help of an insider, we get accurate information and instructions. Together with a colleague, I drive to Svay Pak, loaded with a hidden camera. Once there, we make a find. We follow a Vietnamese pimp, a young man of about 20 years, through a backyard maze until we finally arrive at a small group of young girls. The girls, all under 6 or 7 years old, are presented to us and we are asked to choose one or two of them. There is almost no light, but the walls have posters of the past and it is a dump. The carefree nature of the girls and the aggressive nature of the pimp shine out in the darkness. The girls are wearing their pajamas and do not have any terrifying impressions or fears. It seems to me that this was their daily operation. After viewing the footage and handing it over to a local NGO, the girls can be rescued, freed and placed into shelters.
2010. I’m in Cambodia again and drawn back to Svay Pak. Svay Pak has been officially closed for 5 years. Due to the many police checkpoints and constant observation, the international trade of underage girls has moved deeper into the backyards. It seems like the opportunity to get in contact with children has become more difficult. It remains to be seen if the laws protecting children will be adhered to, and in particular, strictly controlled. The enforcement of the law is, and remains, a major obstacle in efforts to eliminate child prostitution. If this is done, then Svay Pak is really closed as it is written on the Internet.
