Riots and reform hammer flesh trade in Ujungpandang

By Hasanuddin Hamid

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): Prostitution here has been on a downturn since September when the coastal town was hit by anti-Chinese rioting.

Since then, the outlook of the city's prostitution industry has been gloomy, especially with the success of the reform movement in the country as many have jumped on the reform bandwagon with a campaign to crush illicit businesses.

Moreover, prostitution has never been legalized.

The police often round up prostitutes and their clients at bars, discotheques and massage parlors. At one such operation on July 11, city police rounded up 42 prostitutes and their clients.

"I think this sort of operation is routine, so it is not merely the monetary crisis which is causing the decrease of clients coming here," said a pimp on Jl. Nusantara, the hub of prostitution in Ujungpandang.

Ujungpandang Police chief Col. Jusuf Mangga Barani said frequent sweeps were held because owners of pubs, discotheques and massage parlors often misused their operating licenses by providing prostitution services.

Prostitution in Ujungpandang is spread out in different places, but the most well-known place is Jl. Nusantara, near Makassar seaport.

At least 12 bars, discotheques and massage parlors are located along the road, with a number of them suspected of providing prostitution services.

Many of them were burned down during the rioting in September. Some of them rebuilt their business from the wreckage.

Cut rates

Mami Doris, an operator of a bar and massage parlor there, complained that her business turnover continued to decline with the frequent police operations.

Despite offering "competitive" rates at Rp 50,000 per hour, it still does not help.

"If room occupancy continues to decline, I don't know what I'll do anymore because I spent a lot of money renovating this place after the fire," she said.

Before the fire, she had some 70 women, but now she has only 20. Many of them returned to their villages following the September riots.

Vonny, who comes from Tuban, East Java, said her "bookings" had decreased as the reform movement increased.

She said she normally charged Rp 250,000 to Rp 300,000 for a night's service, and for quick service she charged a standard rate as set by her pimp.

The declining trend also affects both high and low-class prostitutes.

High-class prostitutes in the city are difficult to locate.

They operate through a network which is only known by regular customers. Normally, they operate in a number of cafes, including those near Losari beach.

Ilham, a construction businessman, used to spend a night out with one of the "high" class prostitutes, paying Rp 300,000 for quick service which excludes a room.

However, since the economic downturn, his business has not been doing so well and he has had to curb his night entertainment.

Low-class prostitutes are the most noticeable. They are spread along Jl. Rajawali, Jl. Gunung Nona, Jl. Kancil Utara, Jl. Tanggul Patompo, Jl. Pongtiku and Jl. Sejiwa.

Such streetwalkers normally charge customers Rp 20,000 a turn.

Quite a few complain they have not had a customer for a few days.