The cat-and-mouse game of vice crackdowns
by Zul Othman
05:55 AM May 04, 2010
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SINGAPORE - A more intense spotlight has fallen on vice activities here in recent months. There have been no less than 10 raids on different days reported in Today and The Straits Times, in operations carried out between January and April by law enforcement agencies. These include landmark anti-vice operations online. In contrast, there was just one raid reported on during the same period last year. Even as the crackdowns have taken on a higher profile this year, the number of foreign women nabbed for vice has been climbing since 2006, when 4,310 were arrested. In 2008, the figure was 5,047 and last year, it was 7,614.
The police told MediaCorp they have "always taken a tough stand" against vice activities. Which is why some on the ground are wondering if vice has reached a tipping point in Singapore or if the police are intent on sending a message with the opening of the two casinos. Following the clean-up of Joo Chiat, the women have sprung up in other areas such as Lavender and, closer to the heartlands, Kovan. "The impression one gets anecdotally is that vice can be found in several more neighbourhoods in Singapore," said Mr Colin Chee, a spokesperson for Save Joo Chiat, a grassroots movement made up of residents who campaigned for a sleaze-free Joo Chiat.
The police raids reported on this year have so far covered areas such as Geylang, Orchard, Joo Chiat, Kovan, Woodlands and Bukit Batok. Budget hotels, some with hourly rates, in some neighbourhoods have been singled out by residents as being culpable for a rise in vice activities. "After some raids things have become quiet here," said Kovan resident Daniel Chor, 35. "But I'm sure they'll come back in numbers ... the vice (near the hotels) here is really making me uncomfortable."
The police told MediaCorp that they work with the Hotel Licensing Board to "deter the facilitation of vice activities by hotels and will also take legal action against landlords who knowingly allow their premises to be used for illicit activities". Last month, the licensee of a budget hotel along Kitchener Road became the first to be charged for knowingly allowing vice activities to be conducted in his premises.
The reality, said Singapore Management University associate professor of psychology Norman Li, is that the increasing supply of prostitutes proliferating the streets is reflective of the growing demand from potential customers. "Foreign workers performing manual labour have very low social status here. Thus, it's likely they have a very tough time finding consensual mates in Singapore. It makes sense that low-cost prostitution would serve this market (along with some others)," he said.
More Arrests Doesn't Mean More Sex Workers. But there are others who do not believe vice has spiralled out of control. Member of Parliament Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah), who previously raised the issue in Parliament of the rising number of arrests, told MediaCorp the recent raids are more of a "deterrent" than anything else. That there are more arrests does not necessarily mean there are more sex workers loose on the streets, either, said Mr Sunil Sudheesan of law firm Khattar Wong.
"It would be too simplistic to say that vice cases are on the rise just because there are more prosecutions. It could also mean that the police are stepping up their presence, resulting in more cases coming to light," said the lawyer. Some residents are also more sanguine than others. "I don't think we can ever stamp out those vices ... with the budget hotels around. But I think the situation is still manageable and within control," said Kovan resident Gilbert Cheng, 58. Where more can be done, some feel, is at the borders. Joo Chiat's Mr Chee believes "our social visit pass process is too liberal". "It was set out with the objective of driving up tourist numbers, but it has also served as an open though unintended invitation to women who ply the trade," he said.
During a recent raid at Orchard Towers, one woman who was not arrested told MediaCorp: "Yes, there are a lot of raids now, so we have to be careful. But a lot of girls still prefer to come to Singapore ... Places like Hong Kong turn us away at immigration." Still, others point out that tightening up on social visit passes is not so simple: How does one reliably distinguish between genuine visitors and those here to earn an illegal living? The Police, which have increased the number of officers to deal with vice, told MediaCorp it will "monitor the (vice) situation closely and conduct regular island-wide enforcement operations against vice activities, regardless of where they occur".
