“Floating whore houses” a major challenge in Guyana -Rohee

“Floating whore houses” a major challenge in Guyana  -Rohee

Guyana’s Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has declared that the Government of Guyana does not see trafficking in persons as a major problem facing Guyana although he admitted that the increase in prostitution in the interior mining districts is posing a serious challenge to local law enforcement.

Speaking at a mining forum hosted by the Natural Resources Ministry to examine the social impact of mining, the Minister said with any form of development there will be behavioral changes and challenges. He said the Government has noticed a new phenomenon of “floating whore houses” which he explained were groups of women moving between mining camps to take part in prostitution activities.

The Minister explained that the new “phenomenon” was posing a challenge. clement-rohee

Guyana has been heavily criticised over the years by the U.S Government for not doing enough to tackle the problem of human trafficking.

The latest U.S State Department report on trafficking in persons placed Guyana on a Tier 2 watch list as a country where human trafficking takes place. And the U.S government called for Guyana to do more to tackle the problem and protect victims.

“Prostitution in mining districts is posing a major problem; it is the oldest trade in the world they say but it poses various challenges in this world in which we live”, Rohee said.

The Home Affairs Minister who overlooks a Guyana Government task force on human trafficking told the mining meeting that “unlike some who live in the North, the position of the Government of Guyana is that we do not see trafficking in persons as a major social issue in this country”. He added that as a sovereign country and “as a government elected by the people, for the people, and whatever by the people, we have a sovereign right to pronounce on what we consider to be the true situation, the real situation in our country”.

Although the Government of Guyana has been trying to play down cases of human trafficking in the country, groups like the Guyana Women Miners Organisation has been moving into the mining districts and rescuing young girls from prostitution camps and from being used as “sex slaves” by miners.

Earlier this year, the U.S Secretary of State John Kerry awarded the President of the Women Miners group with a special hero award for her efforts in the fight against human trafficking.

Guyana’s Opposition Leader has called for a Commission of Inquiry to look into the problem in the country. The Home Affairs Minister declared that his office has been working to tackle the problem and does not need any special award or medal, to get the work done.

 

 

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