message from the editor :message from the editor

Zi Teng Newsletter December 2012 43rd Issue P.

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December 2012

43rd Issue

Message from the Editor :Message from the Editor :Message from the Editor :Message from the Editor :

As usual, we joined the Human Rights Carnival co-organized by various local NGOs. We also marched to the Police Headquarters, showing the public how the police abuse their power over sex workers just like what they did 10 years ago. However, we did feel disappointed for the decision of making the above our theme this year. This is because this means that the police have not yet changed their behaviors. In the past, the police frequently

went to the one woman apartments for checking the ‘license’, free sexual service, and sexual gratification; presently, they shift their focus of abuse to the massage workers. In the past, the police ignored the migrant sex workers’ call for help, or arrested those reporting the crime information instead of the law breakers; similar situation still exists today. 10 years ago, the police officers often insulted sex workers; the police now use humiliating words on those who are not working in the one woman apartments. Some frontline police officers are still slow to sex workers’ cases, with some of them even encourage sex workers to drop the case. Maybe we can put it this way: when you one day find that we tell you nothing about what we have done on the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, this may imply that sex workers have finally got rid of the violence and unfair treatment. They can eventually gain the full protection and respect from the police. Nevertheless, it seems to us that this can hardly be attained in short future…


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Our work and movement: Hong Kong Meeting with the Legislative Councilors In November, we successfully arranged a meeting between two Legislative Councilors and a group of massage workers, so as to create a chance for the massage workers to directly voice their demands to the Legislative Councilors. The massage workers did share with the Legislative Councilors their personal experiences and explicitly expressed the following concerns over the current working environment: 1. The police often target the foot massage parlours, which seriously ruin the

livelihood of the massage workers.

2. Most massage workers are new immigrant women, but they are often discriminated and maltreated by the police. For instance, during the license check, some police officers will ask the massage workers to leave the massage industry, either apply the CSSA (Comprehensive Social Security Assistance) or earn a living by working in the one-woman brothel.

3. Many massage workers enter the industry after attending the Government-sanctioned Rehabilitation Training Program. However, they are eventually prosecuted for working in an unlicensed massage parlour with the permanent criminal record.

At the end of the meeting, the Legislative Councilors suggested the massage workers to file a complaint to the Complaints Division of the Legislative Council. They also promised to further discuss the current Massage Ordinance with the massage workers in another occasion, so as to see how it is necessary to change the law. Though this was just the first meeting between the massage workers and the Legislative Councilors, we are happy to see that the massage workers are confident to express their situation and needs. They no longer remain silent regarding to unfairness and discrimination. They are also willing to tell others their personal experiences. We look forward to sharing with you soon the progress on the above as well as other significant changes on the massage workers. Police scum The police have been claiming they often remind the frontline police officers to respect the rights and privacy of the arrested. Unfortunately, what we know is the other side of the story. We recently received a complaint. The police officers involved are the most awful we have ever seen.

In one undercover operation, one sex workers was arrested. Later, a police team arrived. Without any explanation, the police officers first removed the closed circuit system. One female officer strip-searched her and her co-worker on the spot. Another male officer found the schoolbag of her son, who lived with her in the working place, he quickly intimidated her by saying “I will now call your son’s school, and tell your son his mom is a ‘hooker’ who often x by men”. The sex worker was really scared and she listened to whatever the police told her.

After going back to the police station, the police responsible for doing the statement was very hostile. Together with his team leader, they insulted her with foul language. When the sex worker refused to


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answer the question and sign on the statement, the police further threatened her, “You are uncooperative. If you are uncooperative, I will call your son and tell him you are selling sex. I will also tell your man. Whoops, I don’t understand why your man can bear the fact that you are a ‘hooker’. ” He later went on and said, “Look at your face. It will really be a pity that you do not work as a ‘hooker’. How about further working more deeply in the industry?” With no choice, the sex worker eventually signed the statement, but she insisted not to write anything more on the statement. Afterwards, when she was taken to do the fingerprint, the police mocked her again, “Whoops, you see that masturbation hand! ‘Hooker’ hand is very dirty. I don’t want to touch the ‘hooker’ hand.” At the end, the sex worker was tortured in the police station till midnight, but the police officers did not provide her with the copy of the statement. Considering the above case and the following complaints we received in the past 3 months, if the police still insist that they have effectively reminded and monitored the frontline police officers, we do think that the police definition of “effective” is seriously flawed.

Police violence/abuse Client/criminal violence Free massage service before arrest 22 cases Theft 9 cases

Free sexual service 9 cases Sexual assault 1 case

Neglect sex workers’ cases 2 cases Denial of payment 6 cases

Force/coax into signing the statement 18 cases Robbery 2 cases

Being deprived of basic rights 16 cases Harassment from mafia 1 case

Obstruct the course of justice 18 cases Physical abuse 9 cases

Excessive violence 2 cases F orced possession of drugs 1 case

Verbal Threat and insult 9 cases

Strip-search 3 cases Violence from Boss

Excessive license check 5 cases Forced labor 1 case

Linking with the world

Malawi

Centre for Girls and Interaction We recently had further expanded our network in Africa by developing partnership with the CEGI (Centre for Girls & Interaction). CEGI is a non-profit making organization, primarily concerned with creating access to information on girls and young women rights or related issues through interaction, advocacy, documentation, education, networking for positive change. CEGI is implementing its activities and programs in Northern Region of Malawi. Its mission is to mobilize young women and girls to achieve their full potential in meeting their needs through promotion of girl’s participation and interaction for change. What is the most impressive achievement to us is that CEGI has helped setting up 14 girls’ clubs and 4 sex workers groups. By forming and running their own group, sex workers can then further polish their managing skills. They can also gain more confidence and power to fight against the common discrimination and violence against women in the African society.


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Different working situation

Taiwan

Mainland Chinese Women in Taiwan

As it was not easy to travel between Mainland China and Taiwan in the past, if the sex workers in China

would like to go to Taiwan, they often entered Taiwan illegally through fake marriages and illegal

immigration. After entering Taiwan, they would then proceed to different areas for work. However, as

long as Taiwan has been tightening the screening of overseas brides, and raid on the fake marriages, the

number of Mainland sex workers who can stay in Taiwan through fake marriages drops sharply. Though

there are fewer Mainland sex workers in Taiwan, this has created a golden opportunity for those who

have successfully entered Taiwan through fake marriages or other channels to enjoy better working

conditions. For example, they can have better housing; someone will take care of their daily activities;

they can have the driver service, and freely take a break and their day-off. Moreover, they have greater

bargaining power, which enables them to have the right to choose the clients. They can say no to the

drunkards, rude clients and those asking for abnormal services. The present working environment has

become very different to the one before, which was full of restrictions.


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Introduction to Sex Work Research/Documents/Events

Shandong, China

Law handbook In this issue, we would like to introduce a new publication, which is a law handbook edited by the one of our partners in China. In recent years, this center was keen to collect and analyze from the newspapers the situation of sex workers facing violence. The center staff also understands much the vulnerability to violence of sex workers through outreach. They will then conduct survey on the issue. Yet, whether it is the data from the newspapers, outreach or the survey, it is obvious that those violence perpetuators are taking advantages of sex workers, who are essentially illegal and fear to call the police. They therefore feel safe to abuse se workers, such as robbing, raping, baiting, and killing sex workers. This handbook aims to let sex workers learn from the real legal

examples collected from the outreach and newspaper reports, so as to understand the legal knowledge further to protect themselves, reduce their vulnerability to violence.

List o f Donor s (L i st o f Donor s (L i st o f Donor s (L i st o f Donor s ( 10/201210/201210/201210/2012 –––– 12/ 12/ 12/ 12/2020202012121212 ))))

We apologize for any omissions!!

Chow Yiu Fai 10,000 Chan Leung Tung 2,500 October

Anonymity 4,150

November Anonymity 6,873 Dcecmber Anonymity 3,500


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