Prostitution is big biz in NTT

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: The security officers should take stern measures to curb rampant prostitution in border areas of Indonesia and East Timor in Belu regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), said a councillor.

Maksimus Murrah, councillor at Belu Regency Legislature, said on Wednesday that the prostitution in the regency was hard to control although the police had arrested some sex workers and their handlers recently.

"The prostitution now takes place not only in Sesekoe village but also in some hotels and residential areas," he said.

Maksimus said that many women were prone to prostitution due to poverty, yet they did not know much about the sexual-related diseases that they may contract, he said.

A result of blood test from a laboratory in Denpasar, Bali, has shown that at least one of the sex workers in the regency had been infected with the deadly HIV virus.

"It means, there is possibility that the virus will be spread and the HIV/AIDS epidemic will soon emerge in the regency if there are no stern measures taken to combat mounting prostitution," he said. --Antara