1,300 sex workers per kilometer, what is Singapore's "red light district" like?
In just 1 kilometer, there are 1,300 sex workers who are legally licensed, and the place where they work is actually a "red light district" legalized by the government.If you don't tell me, most people would think it would be in underdeveloped places like Thailand and Vietnam, but unexpectedly, this "red light district" is actually in the most developed place in Asia: Singapore.
So, what is the red light district in Singapore like? Why did Singapore choose to legalize it? What are the consequences after legalization?
01
Now when we talk about Singapore, the first impression is that this country has many rich people and good rule of law. It is even called "the light of the Chinese" on the Chinese Internet.
However, what most people don't know is that near the city center with beautiful optical fibers, there is a legal red light district strongly supported by the Singapore government-Geylang.
So, what kind of place is Geylang, which is full of mystery and erotic industry?
Geylang, the world-famous red-light district, is actually a road only about 1 km long. On the left are countless snack bars, clubs, temples and other industries that have nothing to do with eroticism, while on the right are lounges, erotic places and other fantasy towns full of temptation.
It is precisely because everything from religion to eroticism is included. This also attracts all kinds of people from all over the world, such as sex workers, hostesses, gamblers, etc.
Someone once said: "In Geylang, Taoist priests and sex workers often pass by, and at the foot of the Buddha statue or next to the mosque, the spectacle of pleasure seekers and prostitutes bargaining. Brothels and yellow temples complement each other, and only Geylang is such an interesting place."
Some people may wonder, such an open and legal red-light district, which attracts many tourists from all over the world to have fun, will not cause a lot of health and safety problems?
This is due to the "health certificate" system of the Singapore government. Here, there are about 1,300 legal workers certified by the government. They have strict industry regulations and must undergo physical examinations every two weeks to ensure that they are healthy.
Moreover, in order to prevent a large number of foreign women from coming to Singapore to engage in the sex industry, the government has also implemented a "work permit" system. These sex workers can only stay in Singapore for two years, and must be repatriated when the time is up.
In order to restrict the development of the sex industry, these sex workers are not allowed to marry locals, and they cannot do their previous jobs when they come to Singapore again.
From these policies, the measures of the Singapore government seem to be comprehensive, but in fact, there is always a huge gap between ideals and reality.
Although Geylang brothels are legal, there are still a large number of sex workers without government legal documents, known as "street prostitutes".
According to statistics, there are about 20,000 "illegal" sex workers working here, and a large number of people from Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and other countries come here to make money in the name of tourism.
Therefore, they can only solicit customers on the streets, and after soliciting customers, they go to nearby hotels for transactions, and the price is generally around 40-100 Singapore dollars.
However, the Singapore government will certainly not sit idly by and ignore these illegal acts. Once they are caught, they will be repatriated.
Ironically, in order to support their families, women in backward areas and countries can only travel thousands of miles to developed areas to sell their bodies for the enjoyment of the rich. This is considered despicable by the Chinese, and it has become one of the few ways for them to continue to live.
02
So, why does Singapore, with a developed economy and a sound legal system, legalize the existence of red-light districts? After all, most developed or backward countries in the world have never done so.
Historical reasons have become one of the important factors for the Singapore government to retain it.
A long time ago, Geylang was originally an agricultural village. Later, it developed into a commercial district because of its proximity to the port. These commercial districts gathered a large number of wealthy people. The wealthy like to go in and out of various places of love. Over time, entertainment venues such as brothels and casinos began to appear in Geylang.
Now, foreigners who were influenced by the culture of "Oriental Fever" in the last century learned that there was a huge red-light district in Asia. For this group of working class, the "mysterious oriental girls" naturally attracted many foreign sailors and immigrants to come for entertainment.
After the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia during World War II, Geylang became a gathering place for Japanese comfort women, providing entertainment for the Japanese soldiers. This "grand occasion" lasted until 1950, so much so that feminist activist Shireen Fosda accused: The whole of Singapore is basically a large "technical" institute.
It can be seen that Singapore has actually been operating a "red light district" since before World War II. Even though the invaders and colonizers have changed batches, they have never been eradicated. Over time, Singaporeans have recognized the activities of engaging in sex trade in this place.
However, objectively there are great historical factors, but after all, it has damaged the rights of some women. Has no one proposed to ban or cancel this "red light district"?
Of course, Lee Kuan Yew once declared that female workers were illegal in 1960. But in the 1970s after Singapore's independence, the management of the third special industry gradually moved towards the policy line of legalization and the establishment of special zones.
This transformation is very puzzling. Why did Lee Kuan Yew take the lead in abolishing it and legalizing it?
The reason is that, although it was abolished in name, it actually led to more serious underground transactions and illegal activities. Simply cleaning up and banning Geylang not only did not improve local security, but instead led to more hidden, dangerous and uncontrolled situations.
Since then, "regulation rather than prohibition" has become the main strategy of the Singapore government.
First, public health and safety are protected by measures such as physical examinations of legal sex workers, issuing certificates, and requiring the use of condoms.
At the same time, health education and consultation are provided to sex workers to effectively prevent and control the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. It provides legal guarantees and status for sex workers and protects them from the infringement of criminals.
Secondly, limiting erotic venues to a small area is not easy to interfere with the normal lives of surrounding residents and businesses, and it also reduces the cost of police enforcement, which is undoubtedly killing two birds with one stone.
Finally, it is precisely because of Singapore's full management of the "red light district" that male groups from all over the world are willing to go to Singapore to "spend money".
It not only drives Singapore's tourism economy, but also makes restaurants and hotels near Geylang make a lot of money. After all, who can go to Singapore to play is not a potential "gold master"?
03
It sounds like a good ending with mutual benefit for both parties, but is it really so?
In fact, it is not. Both the residents and businesses around have been affected.
The reason is that the pornography industry itself is easily combined with drugs and gambling, which will inevitably lead to a sharp increase in illegal activities. The "red light district" with a legal coat is like a lawless place. Over time, the lives of ordinary people will definitely be disturbed.
When these places experienced the epidemic, the "red light district" violated the law and expanded sexual services offline. The Internet was full of erotic information of all sizes, and the police also began to carry out large-scale "anti-pornography" against online prostitution services.
A large number of shops and service places closed down naturally because no one patronized them due to the epidemic.
Perhaps, for the "red light district" in a gray area, it may also decline and die in the future. However, Singapore's idea of giving legal protection and legal management to these "special industries" may be worth learning and reference for countries around the world.
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