Sex, lies and audio tape.

Commission to look into the trafficking of children out of orphanages and into sex work in Thailand for a radio programme, Thembi Mutch embarks on a hazardous adventure – a friend working with Keren refugees on the Thai-Burma border tells her, “The police are as much a part of the problem as the armed pimps who control the kids and the traffickers. You will be taking bodyguards, won’t you?” The story moves to Cambodia and she discovers, “Lying is huge issue. When I reach Phnom Penh I am lying more on a daily basis than I ever have in my life: about my name, my job, my hotel, my nationality and what I’m doing. This is for two reasons: Cambodia’s oral culture is steeped in suspicion, rumours, smoke and mirrors. The legacy of the Khmer Rouge and grassing people up has left deep residual scars: the preceding civil war and the subsequent war with Vietnam have done nothing to engender trust and a community spirit. It makes me realise I can’t afford to let even the hotel staff know what I am doing. The other reason for all my lying is that the few people who do know about my project have advised strongly against being open, particularly in Cambodia, where it costs only $50 to hire a hit man and get rid of troublemakers.” Because of intimidation and the reluctance of those involved to tell the truth, the project ultimately fails – but Mutch is now hoping to develop the idea for television. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]