lithuanian prostitutes
I will not usually make posts like this one.
As a citizen of Lithuania - a country more often mentioned in "Oddly Enough" stories than serious front-page stories - I typically refrain from purposely bringing to light embarassing stories like the one I will write about here. My friend Aras steadfastedly adheres to this "rule" as well - he refers to the embarassing impeachment of president Rolandas Paksas as "Lithuania's shining moment as a truly functioning democracy." I like this way of putting it. But not everyone is looking out for Lithuania's public appeal. That said, AP recently ran a story with the headline "Lithuanian Prostitutes Overcharging NATO Troops."
This nifty story came a week after Lithuania officially joined NATO (the official part being the arrival of four NATO F-16's and over 100 apparently sex-starved service personnel). What I didn't like about the story was its light/funny tone. The increased presence of sex-workers is obviously directly correlated to the arrival of these troops. The story does not make mention of attempts by NATO administration to curb the ILLEGAL activities of their troops. It focuses solely on Lithuania's police cpmmissioner's comments on trying to take care of the problem..The despicable part of this story is not that prostitutes are charging the NATO troops triple, but that NATO troops are buying prostitutes, and at triple price.
Unfortunately, the story portrayed Lithuanian authorities as tolerant of prostitution, sympathized with the "discriminated against" troops.
Just heard U2 song that made me think of the planes in Sharon.
Lithuanian reaction to 4 planes in Siauliai - charge the 100(!) soldiers there triple for prostitutes.
2 NATO troops get beat up...what kind of troops are those?!
Since I want to portray my country positively, my headline would be "NATO troops graciously, despicably pay extravagantly for prostitutes."
By the way, my friend Aras is looking to work for a company in Lithuania that pays American-styles wages. Click here for his CV...any takers?
April 8, 2004
Lithuanian prostitutes overcharging NATO troops
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) - The NATO troops dispatched to this Baltic state are being discriminated against, the country's police commissioner said Thursday, by prostitutes who charge them more than three times as much money as Lithuanian clients.
In recent days, prostitutes have been arriving in the city of Siauliai, where 100 NATO soldiers are stationed, part of a team to service four Belgian F-16s that patrol the skies above Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Police Commissioner General Vytautas Grigaravicius told journalists.
He said that the sex workers were hiking their rates for the western troops, who come from Belgium and Norway.
"Prostitutes take 100 litas (about $45 Cdn) an hour from Lithuanian citizens, while NATO troops are asked to pay 350 litas (about $160 Cdn) an hour," he said, calling it a clear case of discrimination. Prostitution is illegal in the country of 3.5 million residents.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were inducted into the U.S.-led alliance on March 29 along with four other ex-communist countries. Moscow expressed particular anger at the entry of the Baltics, which share borders with Russia, and criticized the deployment of the NATO fighters.
Last week, two NATO soldiers were beaten up, prompting outrage across Lithuania and calls for better protection for troops sent to defend the country.
Grigaravicius met with acting Lithuanian president Arturas Paulauskas on Thursday and pledged to boost the number of police in Siauliai, 200 kilometres northwest of the capital, Vilnius.
As a citizen of Lithuania - a country more often mentioned in "Oddly Enough" stories than serious front-page stories - I typically refrain from purposely bringing to light embarassing stories like the one I will write about here. My friend Aras steadfastedly adheres to this "rule" as well - he refers to the embarassing impeachment of president Rolandas Paksas as "Lithuania's shining moment as a truly functioning democracy." I like this way of putting it. But not everyone is looking out for Lithuania's public appeal. That said, AP recently ran a story with the headline "Lithuanian Prostitutes Overcharging NATO Troops."
This nifty story came a week after Lithuania officially joined NATO (the official part being the arrival of four NATO F-16's and over 100 apparently sex-starved service personnel). What I didn't like about the story was its light/funny tone. The increased presence of sex-workers is obviously directly correlated to the arrival of these troops. The story does not make mention of attempts by NATO administration to curb the ILLEGAL activities of their troops. It focuses solely on Lithuania's police cpmmissioner's comments on trying to take care of the problem..The despicable part of this story is not that prostitutes are charging the NATO troops triple, but that NATO troops are buying prostitutes, and at triple price.
Unfortunately, the story portrayed Lithuanian authorities as tolerant of prostitution, sympathized with the "discriminated against" troops.
Just heard U2 song that made me think of the planes in Sharon.
Lithuanian reaction to 4 planes in Siauliai - charge the 100(!) soldiers there triple for prostitutes.
2 NATO troops get beat up...what kind of troops are those?!
Since I want to portray my country positively, my headline would be "NATO troops graciously, despicably pay extravagantly for prostitutes."
By the way, my friend Aras is looking to work for a company in Lithuania that pays American-styles wages. Click here for his CV...any takers?
April 8, 2004
Lithuanian prostitutes overcharging NATO troops
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) - The NATO troops dispatched to this Baltic state are being discriminated against, the country's police commissioner said Thursday, by prostitutes who charge them more than three times as much money as Lithuanian clients.
In recent days, prostitutes have been arriving in the city of Siauliai, where 100 NATO soldiers are stationed, part of a team to service four Belgian F-16s that patrol the skies above Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Police Commissioner General Vytautas Grigaravicius told journalists.
He said that the sex workers were hiking their rates for the western troops, who come from Belgium and Norway.
"Prostitutes take 100 litas (about $45 Cdn) an hour from Lithuanian citizens, while NATO troops are asked to pay 350 litas (about $160 Cdn) an hour," he said, calling it a clear case of discrimination. Prostitution is illegal in the country of 3.5 million residents.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were inducted into the U.S.-led alliance on March 29 along with four other ex-communist countries. Moscow expressed particular anger at the entry of the Baltics, which share borders with Russia, and criticized the deployment of the NATO fighters.
Last week, two NATO soldiers were beaten up, prompting outrage across Lithuania and calls for better protection for troops sent to defend the country.
Grigaravicius met with acting Lithuanian president Arturas Paulauskas on Thursday and pledged to boost the number of police in Siauliai, 200 kilometres northwest of the capital, Vilnius.
posted by mrdarius at
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
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