Selfish Monetary Value

I have noticed that a reoccurring theme throughout The Road of Lost Innocence, is the importance of monetary value and selfishness in it. Since Cambodia is in such economic despair being poor and lacking money to buy essential living accommodations is very common. People end up resorting to human sex trafficking as an income of money. This business that was created ruins the lives of many little girls in Cambodia and Thailand, and for what? Parents end up selling their daughters to the brothels just to keep themselves alive. This form of selfishness is what corrupts any nation. An example of this selfishness displayed follows, "A while back, I met a mother who would go to a brothel to get the money her ten-year-old daughter earned for her. [...] she retorted, 'She's my daughter. I carried her for nine months; I suffer to give birth to her.' [...] Another time we were talking to a man who had raped his own daughter. 'Her mother is beautiful and she attracts all the cooks in the village. So to hurt her, I raped her daughter, who's pretty too'" (167-68, Mam). This moral fiber that influences the men, and women of Cambodia, is the corruption. In this book, a lot of personnels that are supposed to be a method of help and comfort are corrupt. Government officers, religious figures, parents and officers tend to be the most common clients to each brothel. The corruption destroys any faith in Cambodian women and children. The only person in this book that isn't selfish, in any way, is Somaly. She gives away money that was given to her to her parents and friends, and isn't worried about herself. Somaly endangers her life for the safety and future of these little girls. She collect charity money and donations just for the sake of others. The problem of human trafficking isn't only present in Cambodia, it is present in every country. Here is some knowledge about statistics over Cambodia's human trafficking problem.

http://www.catwinternational.org/factbook/Cambodia.php