US ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas apologises

Harry Thomas, the US ambassador to the Philippines, has apologised for a controversial remark he made about the country’s sex tourism industry. Thomas had claimed that 40% of male tourists visit the Philippines for sex.
After an outcry over the comments, Thomas reportedly said that he regrets any harm that his words might have caused. For officials in the Philippines who are trying to erase the country’s reputation for its sex industry, Thomas’ remarks came at a particularly unfortunate moment.
Until the early 90′s, there were many US military bases in the Philippines and the sex industry grew around these bases to offer ‘services’ to soldiers. After the US (mostly) pulled out of the country, the sex industry turned instead to tourists.
The Filipino government is trying to change the country’s international image, focusing attention away from the sex industry and towards more conventional tourist activities.
By Michael Hagen (TNLnews=New York)