UN Report Calls for Decriminalization of Prostitution in Asia

[StrontiumDog]

UN Report Calls for Decriminalization of Prostitution in Asia

UN Report Calls for Decriminalization of Prostitution in Asia


A night scene of the red-light district in south Pattaya in Chonburi province, 70 kilometers south of Bangkok (2000 file photo).

Gabrielle Paluch
October 19, 2012

BANGKOK — Results of the first U.N. study examining how the criminalization of prostitution has affected the lives of sex workers across Asia and worsened HIV epidemics have been released.

The U.N. surveyed sex workers in 48 countries across Asia to determine how prostitution laws affect the safety and health of prostitutes and their families.

Lack of rights

Noi Chantawipa Apisuk runs a foundation for sex workers in Thailand called EMPOWER. She says sex workers in the country can earn enough money to support their families, but they lack the legal protections given to workers in other industries. She has been lobbying the Thai government to change that.

"Sex work is work, and entertainment work is business," she said. "Entertainment workers are protected under the labor law, like manufacturing sector workers, agricultural sector workers. So if we recognize it, if they have problems it can be solved by employer and employee in the labor court rather than go to the police."

HIV protection

Researchers say in places where prostitution is banned, sex workers are especially vulnerable because their work is stigmatized and illegal. They argue that removing legal penalties for prostitution allows for better access to health checkups and treatment programs.

The acting director of the U.N. HIV Health and Development Practice, Dr. Mandeep Dhaliwal, says there is evidence some governments are making progress towards changing laws that are hampering effective HIV prevention.

She applauded Vietnam and China for stopping programs that detained sex workers and their children. In Cambodia and Burma, governments have asked police to stop harassing prostitutes. But she says there are still many contradictory policies that pose public health risks.

"On the one hand, you spend millions of dollars providing condoms to prevent HIV transmission, and then on the other hand you have police confiscating condoms or using condoms as evidence to arrest or harass sex workers. It is an absurd contradiction that is costing people's lives," said Dhaliwal.

Less punitive approach

Human rights lawyer and author of the report John Godwin says countries that endorse a less punitive approach also minimize human-rights violations and health risks. He says grass roots efforts to work with police and local authorities are making progress in carving out a healthy work environment for sex workers.

"Initiatives that are community led, who are actually organizing themselves to have a dialogue with the police and local authorities to improve their conditions of work. They are having de-facto support of the authorities to work in healthier situations, to work without police harassment. You are seeing successes, as I said, in Calcutta," said Godwin.

Besides India, the report also singles out Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, Thailand, Fiji, Laos and the Philippines for making progress on laws that improve efforts to treat and contain HIV.

While researchers say decriminalizing sex work in those countries would further improve the situation for prostitutes - the situation is different in Indonesia. There, although prostitution is not illegal, the U.N. says sex workers are routinely abused by law enforcement agencies and discriminated against by the public and the government.

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Sex Work and the Law in Asia and the Pacific



Unit: HIV, Health and Development
Year: 2012
Category: Research and Policy Series
Printed version available? Yes

File: HIV-2012-SexWorkAndLaw.pdf

The report is intended to provide an evidence-base for: policy makers working in government, regional and multilateral organizations; parliamentarians; members of the judiciary; civil society organizations; donor agencies; and sex workers and their organizations engaged in advocacy to improve the legal and policy enabling environment for HIV responses. The study focuses on 48 countries of the Asia-Pacific region, with an emphasis on low and middle-income countries.

[Albert Shagnastier]

UN Report Calls for Decriminalization of Prostitution in Asia

Is it illegal?

[ENT]

You wouldn't think so the way it's so openly practiced in Thailand.
India had a completely different attitude to it, illegal yet it still goes on.

Decriminalsing prostitution will be a step towards getting rid of the pimps and getting VD under control, as well as reducing human trafficking.

[TLansford]

This is probably a good idea.

Other than that, I wonder if the PM will take a position on it.

[alitongkat]

if its made legal, then there are statistics...

if its a legal job, they will have to pay taxes... (even though, difficult to prove)...

these statistics might well show, where from and what "industry" contributes the most - in figures, employment...

as a PM, that might look a bit embarrassing... jmho...

[TLansford]

^yes, however she has supported several policies for women and I wonder if she would view this or promote this as a supportive policy for women.

[alitongkat]

what advantages would this have for prostitutes?
i dont see any...

they are mostly freelancers, and will with legalisation have only more trouble (tax, registering, health documents)...
as they cant ask for more money, they will earn less at the end of the day...

the few which might get trouble with a bar owner - most are not employed anyway, might get paid on daily basis(?) - they can go to court in case of dispute? wow... not sure, if i would drag a bar owner to the court for peanuts...

and the issue of "discrimination" isnt really much in thailand, the profession is not looked down at - compared to other countries/cultures...

they might have to contribute some occassional money to some authorities, but compared to the fees and payments which would come with a legalisation, its probably not worth to mention...

so, whats their advantage? none...

[Zooheekock]

I wonder if she would view this or promote this as a supportive policy for women

Not a cat in hell's chance, unfortunately.

[ENT]

Prostitution has been legal in NZ for a number of years now and because of that regular health checks and no pimps makes it a safe and affordable commodity, at average rates of NZ$100/hr. (2,500 baht)

That's delivered to your door.

How about that, eh?

And you can pick Euro, Chinese, Thai or African, from 18 yrs and up.

[alitongkat]

the health checks are for prostitutes, mainly, you as buyer will use condoms anway, whether they are health checked or not...

if they have a pimp or not, doesnt interest the customer any much either...
not unlikely they still have one, even though registered, as the place is divided by the male rivals (pimps)...

if prostitution was not made legal, you could possible afford that commodity for average 50NZD (1,250 baht)...

you pointed out the advantages for the customer,
what is the advantage of the prostitute?

(they can go to health checks also without being legalized...)

[Spin]

With so few prosecuted for prostitution offences in Thailand it is pretty obvious that the level of toleration here equates to decriminalisation. So there is not much for the UN to worry about as far as Thailand is concerned.

[ENT]

^^There's no pimps around any more, they're unemployed or making methampetamines in old sheds, caravans and shipping containers now, blowing themselves up quite regularly.

The girls have formed collectives which work quite well, support groups where they have a shared client base, and offer cheap rates at lunch breaks.

Other ladies are freelancing from home before the kids come home from school etc.
All very respectable.

Competition is healthy as more girls are free to go on the game, so keeping the prices down to a reasonable level.
A girl only has to do one trick a day five days a week for a living wage, the rest is lolly money.

They're all taxed if they work out of an address, but the street girls are harder to pin down and tax.

Rates of VDs have gone down, while the numbers of depressed women in NZ has gone up.
Blokes are generally happier,

[alitongkat]

page 26 of the UN report

Rules of the Social Security Fund of Thailand enable sex workers to access state social security benefits for sickness, disability, death, and a pension if they make financial contributions.45

page 28 of the UN report

In Thailand, SWING implements a police cadet internship programme and cadet
training curriculum to expose police cadets to peer-based HIV prevention activities.
The Empower Foundation in Thailand advocates for labour protection measures to be
extended to sex workers and decriminalization of sex work. In 2006, the Foundation
opened a bar in Chiang Mai that provides sex workers with working conditions that
comply with standards under the Labour Protection Act.

[alitongkat]

Blokes are generally happier,

you have less paperwork to fill in...

[ENT]

With so few prosecuted for prostitution offences in Thailand it is pretty obvious that the level of toleration here equates to decriminalisation. So there is not much for the UN to worry about as far as Thailand is concerned.

There's still the police graft and mamasans' cut, protection money, in Thailand.

Once decriminalised the cops can't ask for a cut any more and mamasan will be out of business as the girls get themselves organised and health checks are kept up, all under the protection of the law.

It'd cut out a lot of the illegal teenage girl and child smuggling for prostitution too.

Hell, it'd make the cops really peeved, no more tea money, free whisky and boom-boom on the job any more.

[parryhandy]

With so few prosecuted for prostitution offences in Thailand it is pretty obvious that the level of toleration here equates to decriminalisation. So there is not much for the UN to worry about as far as Thailand is concerned.

There's still the police graft and mamasans' cut, protection money, in Thailand.

Once decriminalised the cops can't ask for a cut any more and mamasan will be out of business as the girls get themselves organised and health checks are kept up, all under the protection of the law.

It'd cut out a lot of the illegal teenage girl and child smuggling for prostitution too.

Hell, it'd make the cops really peeved, no more tea money, free whisky and boom-boom on the job any more.

Exactly which is why there is no chance in hell this PM will support it.

[TLansford]

With so few prosecuted for prostitution offences in Thailand it is pretty obvious that the level of toleration here equates to decriminalisation. So there is not much for the UN to worry about as far as Thailand is concerned.

There's still the police graft and mamasans' cut, protection money, in Thailand.

Once decriminalised the cops can't ask for a cut any more and mamasan will be out of business as the girls get themselves organised and health checks are kept up, all under the protection of the law.

It'd cut out a lot of the illegal teenage girl and child smuggling for prostitution too.

Hell, it'd make the cops really peeved, no more tea money, free whisky and boom-boom on the job any more.

In the Netherlands, this reduced human trafficking for prostitution according to a documentary I had seen...

[ENT]

With so few prosecuted for prostitution offences in Thailand it is pretty obvious that the level of toleration here equates to decriminalisation. So there is not much for the UN to worry about as far as Thailand is concerned.

It'd cut out a lot of the illegal teenage girl and child smuggling for prostitution too.
Hell, it'd make the cops really peeved, no more tea money, free whisky and boom-boom on the job any more.

Exactly which is why there is no chance in hell this PM will support it.

With 70% Thai male clients, about 4.6 million Thai males(@ cheaper Thai rates) and 0.5 million tourists (@ Farang rates) paying for about 2.3 million prostitutes annually, there's a huge income generated by the industry.

Farangs could be paying up to five times more than locals for sex, a sum of money not to be sneezed at. If the charge is Bht 2,000 for 0.5 million clients annually, there's one billion baht , and if a client gets to use a prostitute 10 times in a holliday, that makes 10 billion baht in tourist dollars annually. On top of that is what Thai men pay, the total of which could easily equal that and more.

There are an estimated 2.3 million prostitutes in Thailand. minimum.
2.3 million prostitutes X 10 tricks /week. = 2.3 million X 50 weeks = 1,150, 000, 000 tricks per annum, @ Bht 1,000/trick = Bht 1,250,000,000,000/annum turnover

If taxed, Govt revenue from that @ 10% = Bht 115 billion/ annum.

At half that charge out rate, Bht 500/trick, total annual turnover = Bht 575 billion.
Potential tax@ 10% = 57.5 billion baht /annum.

At only 5 tricks/ girl per week, at the low chargeout rate of Bht 500 average, the girls would earn Bht 2,500/wk which is Bht 125,000/ annum of 50 wks.
Govt revenue from that would be Bht 28.75 billion/ annum.

In comparison, the latest Thai tax increase on booze and cigs only generated 12 billion baht/annum .

Gifts and extras the girls get could see their real income double, and Thai rates would offset the amount so calculated, but that's just my guestimate.

More than enough to make a cat laugh.

[Zooheekock]

There are an estimated 4.6 million prostitutes in Thailand. minimum.

I rather doubt that. There are something like 23 million Thai women aged 15-64. Do you really think that 1 in 5 of that age group are on the game? Of course, almost all prostitutes are going to be in the 15-30 age group so you're probably talking about a third of that group. Even allowing for women trafficked in from neighbouring countries and the pretty small number of male prostitutes, I would have thought the number would be at most a tenth of that.

[ENT]

You're right, sorry, post corrected to 2.3 million prostitutes and all other figures adjusted in line.
Thanks for pointing that out to me.
The figure of 2.3 million is arrived from several estimates, but figures issued by Thai government only 75,000 prostitutes in Thailand.
There must be close to that many in Bangkok alone by now, add in Pattaya and Phuket, (20,000 each) Koh Samui (10,000) estimated, and Chiangmai (10,000) there would be that number again, even at conservative estimates.

There are several hundred in each of the border immigration towns, and nearly every village has a local knock shop with a few part or full time girls working.
Add to that the hairdressers, beauticians and Thai massage parlours who unofficially aren't knock shops and the figure soon mounts.
ChulalongkornUniversity (2004) gives the number at 2.8 million sex workers in Thailand, 2 million of them women and including 800,000 sub adults/children and maybe around 200,000 katoeys as well.

Income then was estimated at US$4.3 billion, what it is now is what my above guestimate is at, maybe.

[Zooheekock]

^ The estimates vary wildly. The 2+ million figure is at the top end (and at that level, you're still talking about a major proportion of that age group being sex workers). There's research from Mahidol that estimates there are 200-300,000 sex workers active at any one time.

[ENT]

I've read that also, but I think that the university research will more likely give the true figures than the Gov. will.
Also, bear in mind that a lot of women are part timers, especially in the hilltribe/villages etc. The numbers of child sex workerws is difficult to arrive by, so are the numbers of(especially) Lao, Burmese and Cambodian underage girls, and katoeys.

It would be interesting to know the real numbers, but that won't happen until the industry is legalised and regulated.

[Zooheekock]

It would be interesting to know the real numbers, but that won't happen until the industry is legalised and regulated.

Indeed. When estimates vary by an order of magnitude, you're really fumbling in the dark.

[beerlaodrinker]

Great post ent
didnt know you was the full bottle on whooring and touring in thailand .
Thanks for sharing , green for you

[ENT]

It would be interesting to know the real numbers, but that won't happen until the industry is legalised and regulated.

Indeed. When estimates vary by an order of magnitude, you're really fumbling in the dark.

Very true, and in my case also. I hope those figures make some sort of sense now.