On a short 1-kilometer-long street, 1,300 sex workers are working legally with licenses. The "red-light district" where they work is not located in underdeveloped areas such as Thailand and Vietnam as people usually think, but in the most developed place in Asia - Singapore. This unique phenomenon raises many questions: What is the red-light district in Singapore like? Why did Singapore choose to legalize it? What consequences did it have after legalization?
Nowadays, when people mention Singapore, their first impression is often that the country is rich and has a sound rule of law. It is even called "the light of the Chinese" on the Chinese Internet. However, what is little known is that near the glamorous city center, there is a legal red-light district strongly supported by the Singapore government - Geylang.
Geylang, this world-famous red-light district, is actually just a 1-kilometer-long avenue. On the left side of the avenue are countless snack bars, clubs, temples and other industries that have nothing to do with eroticism; on the right side are lounges and various erotic places, full of temptation. Religion and eroticism coexist here, attracting all kinds of people from all over the world, such as sex workers, hostesses, gamblers, etc. Someone once described: "In Geylang, you can often see Taoist priests and sex workers passing by, and at the foot of the Buddha statue or next to the mosque, pleasure seekers bargain with prostitutes. Brothels and temples complement each other, and only interesting places like Geylang can appear."
People can't help but wonder, such an open and legal red-light district, attracting many tourists for entertainment, won't it cause a lot of health and safety problems? This is thanks to the "health certificate" system implemented by the Singapore government. Here, there are about 1,300 legal workers certified by the government. They must follow strict industry regulations and must undergo a physical examination every two weeks to ensure their own health. In addition, in order to prevent a large number of foreign women from pouring into Singapore to engage in the pornography industry, the government has also implemented a "work permit" system. These erotic industry workers can only stay in Singapore for two years and must be repatriated after the expiration of the period. In addition, in order to restrict the development of the erotic industry, sex workers are not allowed to marry locals, and they cannot do their previous jobs when they come to Singapore again.
Although the measures taken by the Singapore government seem to be comprehensive, there is a huge gap between ideal and reality. Although brothels in Geylang are legal, there are still a large number of sex workers who do not have legal government documents. They are called "street prostitutes". According to statistics, there are about 20,000 "illegal" sex workers working here, including people from Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and other countries, who come here to make money in the name of tourism. These people can only solicit customers on the streets, and after soliciting customers, they go to nearby hotels for transactions. The transaction price is generally around 40-100 Singapore dollars. Of course, the Singapore government will not sit idly by for these illegal acts. Once they are seized, the relevant personnel will be repatriated. It is ironic that some women from backward areas and countries have to go to developed areas to sell their bodies in order to support their families. This behavior, which is despicable in the eyes of the Chinese, has become one of the few options for them to make a living.
Why does Singapore, which has a developed economy and a sound legal system, legalize the red light district? After all, most countries in the world, whether developed or not, have not taken such measures. Historical factors are one of the important reasons why the Singapore government retains the red-light district.
Geylang was originally an agricultural village, but later developed into a commercial district due to its proximity to the port. The commercial district gathered a large number of wealthy people who were keen on going to places of entertainment. Over time, entertainment venues such as brothels and casinos appeared in Geylang. In the past, influenced by the "Oriental Fever" culture, many foreign sailors and immigrants, especially the working class, were attracted by the "mysterious oriental girls" and came to have fun after learning that there was such a large-scale red-light district in Asia. During World War II, Japan invaded Southeast Asia, and Geylang became a concentration of Japanese military comfort women. This situation lasted until 1950, so that feminist figure Shireen Fosda once accused the entire Singapore of being like a large "brothel". It can be seen that as early as before World War II, there was a de facto "red-light district" in Singapore, which had not been eradicated after many regime changes. Over time, Singaporeans gradually recognized the sex trade activities here.
Of course, given that this phenomenon has harmed the rights of some women, some people have proposed banning or abolishing the "red light district". In 1960, Lee Kuan Yew once declared sex workers illegal. But after Singapore's independence in the 1970s, the management of the erotic industry gradually became legalized and a special zone was set up. This change is puzzling. Why did Lee Kuan Yew first take the lead in abolishing it and then take the lead in legalizing it? The reason is that the nominal abolition actually led to more serious underground transactions and illegal activities. Simply cleaning up and banning Geylang not only failed to improve local security, but also gave rise to more hidden, dangerous and uncontrolled situations.
Since then, "regulation rather than prohibition" has become the main strategy of the Singapore government. On the one hand, public health and safety are guaranteed by taking measures such as physical examinations for 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, give them legal protection and status, and protect them from criminals. On the other hand, limiting erotic venues to a smaller area not only avoids interfering with the normal lives of surrounding residents and businesses, but also reduces the cost of police enforcement, which seems to kill two birds with one stone. In addition, due to Singapore's full management of the "red light district", it has attracted male groups from all over the world to consume, which has not only driven the development of local tourism, but also made the restaurants and hotels near Geylang prosperous.
However, this seemingly mutually beneficial situation is not so perfect. Both the surrounding residents and businesses have been affected. The pornography industry is very easy to combine with drugs and gambling, resulting in a sharp increase in illegal activities. The "red light district" with a legal coat has become a lawless place to a certain extent, and over time, it has seriously interfered with the lives of ordinary people. During the epidemic, the "red light district" even violated the law to expand sexual services online. The Internet is full of erotic information, and the police had to launch a large-scale "anti-pornography" operation against online prostitution services. Many shops and service places were closed down due to the epidemic.
Perhaps, for the "red light district" in a gray area, the future may be declining and dying. However, Singapore’s approach of providing legal protection and legal management to these “special industries” may be worth considering and learning from by countries around the world.
