City versus vice<\/p>\n
Although Jakarta has yet to gain the reputation of being a sin
\ncity like Bangkok and is not likely to do so within the
\nforeseeable future this does not mean that prostitution is not a
\nproblem.<\/p>\n
Certainly, the number of women involved in prostitution in the
\ncapital is not declining. Even so, it cannot be said that our law
\nenforcers have been out every day waging a sincere and well
\nplanned war against the vile practice.<\/p>\n
It is perhaps for that reason that the public's reaction to
\nthe raids by the police on massage parlors and a discotheque said
\nthe be fronts for brothels in the last few days has been to spew
\nforth a barrage of questions.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday night, plainclothes officers raided a massage
\nparlor in downtown Jakarta which they believed to be a bordello.
\nDuring the operation they arrested people, ranging from assistant
\nmanagers to a 14-year-old masseuse and a customer who were found
\nnaked in a room together.<\/p>\n
Earlier the same day, plainclothes officers had raided a
\ndiscotheque in the same area, which they believed was also a
\nbrothel. They arrested a number of people which they charged with
\npandering and prostitution.<\/p>\n
The law enforcers might have had a solid investigative basis
\nfor the raids, but judging from similar sporadic operations in
\nthe past, we tend to believe that the raids were not a serious
\npart of a consistent anti-vice campaign.<\/p>\n
This view seems to be validated by the fact a city councilor
\nhas raised the question of why only those two places were raided,
\nwhile there are so many similar \"entertainment\" businesses in
\ntown?<\/p>\n
It is public knowledge that the so-called new massage houses
\nhere -- some of which advertise with extra neon signs in English
\n\"For Ladies and Gents\" -- are nothing but covert brothels. In
\ntheir effort to cover up their real business, many of the newer
\nparlors call their service \"traditional massage\" to compete with
\nthe existing ones, which offer \"massage and steam-baths\", but do
\nnot have the appropriate facilities.<\/p>\n
Law enforcers have occasionally targeted hotels suspected of
\nallowing prostitutes to use their rooms in the past. However, the
\noff-again-and-on-again operations, mostly sneered at by the
\npublic, had been halted for a long time before the recent raids.<\/p>\n
Now the law-enforcers have introduced another reason for
\nsnuffing out the vice: to prevent the growth of organized crime
\nwhich could spread terror here.<\/p>\n
Even with what looks like a more concerted effort than ever on
\nthe part of the police, it seems unlikely that the fronts for
\nprostitution will be eliminated quickly or easily. Especially not
\nwith the city administration continuing to issue licenses for the
\nso-called massage business, while trumpeting the need to
\neradicate brothels.<\/p>\n
Words and deeds must go hand in hand. Thus far city policy has
\nbeen inconsistently principled and consistently ineffective.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-versus-vice-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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