How Effective is China's Highly Publicized Crackdown on Sex Trade?
Oct 20, 2010 eChinacities.com
The highly publicized crackdown on sex trade which started from Beijing and swept all over China, has been rearing its head and closing down nightclubs left and right in 25 cities including Nanjing, Dongguan and Nanning. It seemed unmistakable that government officials meant business in that many of the police raids involved vested personnel armed with loaded guns. In the period of the crackdown, police made over a thousand arrests and uncovered problems of prostitution, drug abuse, and gang-related activities in many of the entertainment centers in the different cities.
In the past few months, the much publicized fight against prostitution is reported to have gained huge momentum and has garnered much media buzz all across the country. But one should really take a moment to consider some of the more hidden truths about the matter instead of just contently accepting the crackdown and not seeing the full picture. One way to get a clearer image of this case is by asking questions.
Why are people so focused on the hostesses caught and documented in police pictures?
Whenever we read about the different reports with the crackdown on prostitution, we are most often reminded about how many police personnel were deployed, how many nightclubs were raided, and there is always a series of documenting pictures printed, showing the “successful” roundup of alleged prostitutes at the different venues – a kind of shocking visual that serves as a trophy for how the much paraded police operations have turned up fruitful. But it was always the hostesses and alleged prostitutes that were caught on film, rarely are the managers and owners of the different clubs shown, and never were those with true ranks and power that serve as protective umbrellas for the pimping operations exposed. In this regard, the pompous raids on nightclubs and raucous roundup of hostesses are but a show that targeted and bullied the lowest ranks of sex trade business; it may be alright for those that like to look righteous but in reality the raids haven't really achieved anything.
How come there only 26 cities in China that have participated in the crackdown on sex trade?
China has too many cities and towns to count, and one has to wonder why there are only 26 cities in total that have taken up campaigns in cleaning up prostitution and sex trade? If you say that sex trade doesn't exist in the other cities in this country, then you must be ignorant beyond salvage. From the bustling trade centers in the east to the more rural cities in the middle and west, the sex trade is a very lucrative and growing business. It feeds off human lust and is a growing industry that demands huge ranks of pimps and workers. If this is to be a sweeping action intended at cleaning up corruption and prostitution, then the public must get involved and we must all be held responsible for fighting out this long-term campaign. It shouldn't just be limited to a handful of cities and with the rest of us standing by, watching on the sidelines with crossed arms at this great big charade.
How come there aren't more local officials or police department bureaucrats implicated in the sex trade roundup?
From the publicized reports about the campaign, in the 26 cities that embraced the seemingly aggressive crackdown on the sex trade, only two police officials were ever implicated in Chongqing; they were a deputy director and a unit captain of the local police bureau. To those that aren't ignorant and blind, it is obvious that the nightclubs and entertainment centers offering pimping services are able to conduct their business and reap profits long-term precisely because of acknowledgment from local government and police officials. If we stop short of trying to uproot these bad seeds and protective umbrellas with the local bureaucracy, then the crackdown on sex trade can only but scratch the surface; in no time, the shop owners will have purchased new venues stocked full with brand new lineups of attractive hostesses and booze.
Why are the local governments just standing by and even acknowledging the different sex trade businesses?
If this crackdown on sex trade is to be a tornado, then we can't be content with it being just a whirlwind. Otherwise, the publicity and attention will die down in no time, and then everything will be back to how it was before, or even worse, they'll learn to cover up better. The sex trade business has never had much interruption and problem from the police and government officials, and this attests to the fact that there are “uncovered” supporters of the industry working from within the local administration. If those of true rank and power are left alone, then the tornado that is supposed to be the crackdown on sex trade will only be a little whirlwind at best. In fact, most of the local government and police put up with the pimping business for two reasons. First, sex is a lucrative trade that brings in huge bonuses for the retail and service industry; secondly, they can't risk tearing down an attractive, value-added lure for investors and businessmen to their cities as that might put a damper on the fast-growing trade and economy.
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