Issue No.22 (August 2007)
Table of Content
Protest Against Police Extensive Raids on One-apartment women
Zi Teng statement against police extensive raids
Case Conference at Legislative Council
Statement of Legislative Council Case Conference
From reintegration to active participation
Teenager sex education workshop at WAREHOUSE
Internships in different specialty
Men / Customers’ Group
New Publication:
Assistances offered to trafficked women
Joint statement with MFWW on the case of trafficked women
List of Donors (June/2007 – August/2007)
Forthcoming Activities
August 2007
22nd Issue
Message from the Editor :
Time flies, it is the ten-year anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China. Hong Kong has gone through a lot of ups and downs during these ten years. Accompanying with Hong Kong, the flower of Zi Teng has grown strongly and tenaciously in this ten years of ups and downs.
After ten years of steadfast and painstaking work, there is some progress in the Sex Workers Rights Movement. Through incessant outreach services, education in schools and among different social groups and different medias to restore sex workers to reputation, sex workers’ voices have gradually reached the society and there are more chances for the general public to know about sex-work. To sex workers themselves, they feel more affiliated to their work and more aware of their own rights through the participation in different activities. This is indeed what we want to see.
Nonetheless, it is also an undeniable fact that we only see the authorities improve very little in their attitudes towards sex workers and the social marginalized. They not only cannot provide adequate help to the social minorities, they even bring more hurt to the marginalized. In this issue, you will find out how the Hong Kong police have begun to extend their actions to raid on the people working hand in hand with sex workers, such as the maids washing towels for sex workers, the flat owners renting flats to one-apartment woman. You will also find out how the government departments and some international organizations are reluctant to offer assistances to trafficked women.
Unless the public and the authorities change their attitudes, both sex workers’ and social minorities’ situation can hardly be changed.
Protest Against Police Extensive Raids on One-apartment women
The police have never stopped to eradicate sex workers, and we are always ready to fight against police abuse. Recently, we found that the police have started extensive raids on the people working hand in hand with one-apartment women. They visit one-apartment women and force them to provide information for their survey. They intend to collect information for the arrest and raid on sex workers’ advertising website and flat owners renting flats to sex workers, people who indirectly work with sex workers. The police made use of many verbal attacks and insults to make one-apartment women provide the information, such as,
“If you are not cooperative, you will break the law of resisting the execution of police duty!”
“If you don’t sign on the papers, then I will come to visit you everyday!”
“You refuse to answer? Do you know that I have the power to arrest you?”
“You didn’t advertise on website? We found you on the websites. You can’t deny!”
“Don’t ask too much when we are carrying out our duty! Just follow whatever I said”
“If you don’t afraid of us creating troubles to you, sure you can refuse to sign!”
Sex workers had great worries that such police actions might end their business, with 282 of them complained to us about such police actions. We thus had a press conference on June 28 to publicize the above. We also carried out a one-person-one-letter campaign to urge the police to respect sex workers. They have to stop police abuse immediately and all kinds of actions against the one-apartment women. We have already collected more than 3000 support letters from local and overseas individuals and organizations in 3 weeks. The number of support letters is much more than our expectation. It is really a great encouragement to us, that we see how the public does change their attitudes towards sex workers by showing genuine support to the campaign.
Zi Teng statement against police extensive raids
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No feeling about handover evil police raid on sex workers Raid on Sex Workers Sex workers simply work like other business with websites, flat owners and real estate companies. There is hardly any sex workers being controlled or exploited if all the parties involved are voluntarily taking part in the business. Nonetheless, the police raids above will only push sex work to underground, decrease sex workers’ autonomy and rely more on others for a living. Some groups may make use of this opportunity to control the market, expose sex workers to more exploitation. Sex workers earning their own living Police visit sex workers for survey, force them to sign on questionnaires The Government often claims that they have to well use the resources. Yet, the misuses of law as well as the waste of police manpower and resources on raiding sex workers only increase the social burden. Sex workers are also more exposed to exploitation. The Government should spend its resources on the development and betterment of the community’s social life, but not discouraging the business of one marginalized but self-reliant group. Even though it is the 10th year after handover, but sex workers can hardly have any excited feeling for the anniversary. All they have is the worries over the business and living. We now carry out a one-person-one-letter campaign to urge the police to respect sex workers. They have to stop police abuse immediately and all kinds of actions against the one-apartment women. Your support is highly appreciated. We have the following demands:
Contact: Miss Lam Yee Ling ziteng@hkstar.com / 23327182 28/6/2007 |
Case Conference at Legislative Council
As you know that we have several times tried to appeal to the Legislative Councilors for
the revision of police undercover operation guidelines, to stop police from receiving free sexual service. We have protested against police frame-up and overuse of violence on sex workers. We also never stop to urge the police to publish and explain the complaint about Li Yuen-yee’s death to her family as soon as possible. In addition, we often criticize the Complain Against Police Office (CAPO) for their inefficiency in case investigation. Nonetheless, the authorities always ignore and decline our demands. Hence, after repeated negotiation and discussion with Legislative Councilor Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung and Emily Lau Wai-hing, Cheung and Lau convened a case conference at the Legislative Council on July 16. They took Li’s death investigation and one female sex workers’ complaint against police abuse to the conference,
demanded the police and the CAPO to clearly explain their complaint investigation procedures. They also demanded the police to provide figures of both the cases in which police successfully charge sex workers with and without receiving hand job service. Moreover, Cheung helped us to make the Legislative Council research team to carry out a comparative research to compare Hong Kong’s police undercover guidelines with the ones in different countries, while Lau suggested to the authorities to provide special trainings for police officers to understand more about sex workers. As support to Cheung and Lau, Zi Teng staff, representatives of JJJ Association, and 4 sex workers met with the press after the conference. We also submitted the 3,000 letters collected in our one-person-one-letter campaign against police extensive raids to the police.
Though the police failed to provide satisfactory answers to most of the demands raised at the case conference, the conference did help to make the authorities promise to collect the
figures of the requested cases. Most of all, we finally succeed to make the revision of undercover operation guidelines on the police agenda, which is very different to how they insisted there was no need for any revision in the past. On the other hand, we clearly see how sex workers have improved their communication skills. They are getting better to express their opinions and describe their complain experiences to the press. They not only are more courageous to come out and voice out their wants, they are also more willing to support and speak for other sex workers. We believe that the changes on sex workers are also attributed to the support of the press.
Recently, the press has become more supportive and positive towards sex workers that our press conference can now be watched on evening news, and the television program producers from RTHK are willing to do programs on sex workers issues. These changes do strongly encourage us to continue our work, particularly to push the authorities to better their policy implementation.
Statement of Legislative Council Case Conference
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Case Conference at Legislative Council on sex workers’ complaints against police Sex workers have always been suppressed by the police like, the receipt of hand job service during undercover operation, false accusation, the suicide of Li Yuen-yee after police frame-up, and different kinds of police abuse. Zi Teng has repeatedly submitted our demands to the Legislative Council. Legislative Councilor Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, Emily Lau Wai-hing and Margaret Ng Oi-yee convened the case conference on July 16, 2007 to discuss the problems shown in the case of Li Yuen-yee and Apple (pseudonym). Whenever Zi Teng provides information about police abuse, the police spokesperson will ask us to provide case as example. Yet, when we provide cases for their reference, the police spokespersons will tell us they will not comment on respective cases. This clearly shows how the police are irresponsible that they refuse to pay attention on and handle the cases properly. We urge the police to evaluate their current management and system actively and properly. The wrongs of the police in their investigation of sex workers:
The loopholes of current complaint against police mechanism
The Security Bureau states that the police is presently evaluating the undercover operation guidelines, but the police have not ever provided the information requested by the Security Panel. We urge the police to clearly set a deadline for the evaluation, but not using this as an excuse. We also hope that the police can really revise the guidelines after the evaluation by clearly forbidding the police officers from receiving sexual service of any kind (including hand job service). We are reluctant to see the outcome in which the police insist to keep the old guidelines. According to the letters written by the Ottawa police from Canada and Victoria police from Australia, they clearly state in their police guidelines that police officers are strictly prohibited from the involvement or receipt of sexual service. We can also conclude from the legal documents provided by Simon Young, Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong, respectively in April and September 2006 (Appendix 1), that a police officer can still charge one person without any receipt of sexual service if s/he has enough evidence. The police have begun their extensive raids and force the sex workers to answer and sign on their questionnaires, to provide any kind of information such as the advertising web site. There are a total of 352 sex workers complaining about the police actions. Even though the police claim that they are only aiming to arrest the triads behind and to protect sex workers from exploitation, the fact is that sex workers can no longer run their business. The final outcome is that sex workers are completely eradicated. They are the one and only victim. As the law enforcers, the police should never abuse their power. They should further obey the law when they are on duty. They should not frame or suppress sex workers. We urge the police to stop abusing their power and waster their resources, manpower to raid on sex workers. The government should make good use of their resources to better the livelihood of the community. Zi Teng has presently collected signatures from more than 3000 local citizens, overseas organizations and sex workers, to stop all police raids on sex workers. Follow-up after the Legislative Council case conference
We have the following demands:
Contact: 10/7/2007 |
From reintegration to active participation
Sex workers were often alienated and discriminated by the community in the past. As long as they are more willing and courageous to voice out their stories and demands, the public has started to pay more attention and concern on them. Though we still see the conflicts between sex workers and the community, sex workers do have increased consciousness to harmonize their relationship with the residents in the community. We thus push sex workers more to actively join and support other organizations’ activities with us.
In June, we attended the gathering hosted by the Hong Kong Christian Institute (HKCI) to celebrate Hong Kong being returned to China for ten years. We encouraged sex workers to join us and describe to other organizations what Zi Teng has done and accomplished in the past ten years. 5 sex workers eventually went with us. They also performed a drama, trying to tell other organizations what the differences between sex workers in ancient Chinese society and modern Hong Kong are. After the gathering, sex workers told us how good they felt to co-exist and co-participate in one social activity with other organizations. This shows that they are further prepared to maintain better relationship in future with their neighbors and residents in the community. In order to avoid conflicts between sex workers and the community, we will definitely work more to make sex workers better integrated into the community. The more they feel being accepted, the more they want to participate and contribute for the community.
Teenager sex education workshop at WAREHOUSE
Not only we have successfully attracted adults with the ‘Wonderful Sex’ Sex Education Workshops, it seems to us that our sex education program is gradually known by more different people in the society. In June, we were invited to do a teenager sex education workshop at WAREHOUSE, where teenagers aged between 13-25 to further explore and develop their capabilities and interests. We intended to introduce various kinds of sex-related knowledge to teenagers. Some organizers did criticize us of displaying obscene materials, which may adversely affect the teenagers. However, we clearly witnessed how teenagers obtained much knowledge about sexual diseases and safe sex at our workshop. Many adults also came to us and discussed much with us different topics about sex.
In addition, we joined the Second Hong Kong Sex Culture Festival with other social groups and organizations at the end of May. We tried to present the history of sex workers in Ancient Tang Dynasty in China, to tell the public how sex workers were considered a member of the society. Unluckily, it was raining very heavily, and the organizer had to cancel all outdoor events. However, we were still able to do the indoor exhibitions, telling the public more about our work and our sex education workshops. Overall, we received very good response from the public.
Internships in different specialty
| We had 2 intern students working with us during the past 2 months. One is Elizabeth, a student from the United States and is interested in trafficking. The other one is Kiran, who is a law and human rights student from England. During their stay in Hong Kong, they participated in our different work, ranging from networking to teaching sex workers English and self-defensive skills. They also made use of their specialties to help us collecting information about trafficking and human rights. As long as they worked with sex workers and us, they changed much their attitudes and conceptions of sex workers. They not only understand more the needs and situation of sex workers in Hong Kong and China, they also show more care and support to sex workers. Before going back to London, Kiran sent us a letter about her feelings at Zi Teng. |  Kiran (left) & Elizabeth |
Kiran’s letter to Zi Teng
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My time at Zi Teng As a law student from London, England, I thought I had a pretty good idea about international human rights violations-I was very wrong. In England, Sex Workers do not same the same human rights violations as they do in Hong Kong, such as false imprisonment and the rejection of providing sex workers with a fair trial. Sex Workers are not hounded and harassed by the police authorities, the way they are in Hong Kong. Working at Zi Teng and learning about their cause, I was shocked at the adversities and marginalization the Sex Workers face, both of domestic and mainland status. However, it is very reassuring knowing that the team at Zi Teng are absolutely committed and dedicated to the worthy cause of protecting the human rights of sex workers and the decriminalisation of all sex work. Working hours here are very long, and rarely one weekend goes by when the Zi Teng team are not campaigning for the equality and dignity of female sex workers. Whether it is by organising press conferences, national media interviews, protests, demonstrations or politicising the masses and signing petitions, Zi Teng are always striving to further their cause. I still do not claim to fully understand all of the social causes and different forms of discrimination sex workers here face. What I do know however, is that Zi Teng is unrelentless in its attitude and effort in working for the sex workers. Zi Teng’s cause is constantly gaining momentum, however, until the government re-evaluates the social and economic status of sex workers, Zi Teng’s mission is far from over. However, their enthusiasm and perseverance is inspiring for me, and I feel very lucky to have been made welcome and play a role in such an incredible organisation with a very admirable cause and hard-working co-workers. |
Seeing how intern students can make use of their specialty to facilitate our work, and how internships at Zi Teng help to change one’s negative attitudes towards sex workers, we decide to try providing more internships in future, particularly the students or frontline workers, service providers in Mainland China. On one hand, they can then sharpen their specialty and skills. On the other hand, we can eliminate their misconceptions and discrimination against sex workers.
Men / Customers’ Group
To reduce sex workers’ vulnerability to diseases and abuse, on one hand, it is necessary to better the implementation of the authorities’ policy. On the other hand, it is also necessary to educate customers how to respect sex workers. We thus organized the first discussion group for customers, so as to teach them more about sex workers and the sex industry. Through the discussion, we were able to teach them health knowledge, gender equality and how to respect sex workers. The first men's group was successful that we attracted more than 20 men. Most of them are middle-aged and from the grass-root level. They enjoyed the discussions and the information we shared with them. In fact, these participants did change their perceptions of sex workers after the discussion. One 67-year-old man told us how he would well treat and more respect sex workers in future. This suggests to us that the men's group does benefit both participants and sex workers: while the participants can increase their understandings in different knowledge, sex workers may be less exposed to maltreatment and discrimination from customers. Through the men’s group, we have even built up better relationship with some participants. They are interested to contribute more to sex workers and our work. One of them has set up the ‘Zi Teng B-log’, where you can easily find out the newspapers clippings of our campaigns and actions.
In brief, as long as customers (who are predominantly men) change their perceptions of sex workers, sex workers will then be exposed to less danger and abuse. We definitely will continue to teach customers with more different activities and campaigns.
URL of ‘Zi Teng B-log’: http://ziteng_hk.mysinablog.com
New Publication:
The latest version of the ‘Things to Know Before you go’ was published. Similar to the edition we published last time, we aim to provide enough information for migrant Chinese sex workers who are working or planning to work outside China, so as to reduce their vulnerability to trafficking, exploitation and abuse. The booklet contains information we find useful for migrant Chinese sex workers, such as the working situation, law and policy, and the service provided in different destination countries.
Assistances offered to trafficked women
3 Indonesian women, who left home to work in Hong Kong and Macau, wrongly believed that they could work in Korea with the working permit they used in Hong Kong and Macau. Though they paid much money for their trip, their unscrupulous agent took the money and left them in China. They could not go anywhere but had to stay in the place where the agent arranged for them. After they got rid of the place, they tried to seek help at the Guangzhou Public Security Department, the Zhongshan Public Security Department and the Zhuhai Bureau. Yet, none of these departments offered them any help. The Zhuhai Bureau even criminalized and fined the women, with the officials suggested them to work illegally in Zhuhai for the fines (each person RMB5000).
Zi Teng and the Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW) Hong Kong Society, a local migrant workers concern groups, followed this case together. We also tried to contact some other international organizations like the International Office of Migration (IOM) to see if more could be done for the women.
To our disappointment, they could not do much to the trafficked. Neither did we have enough resources to help them. We thus hosted a joint press conference with MFMW to create pressure on the Mainland authorities to stop punishing the women and help them go home safely as soon as possible.
In fact, rather than receiving protection and assistance, it is common for the trafficked people to be criminalized and punished. Many international organizations and government officials do promise to provide adequate support for the trafficked, but they can only do very little in reality. They often have to stick to their internal guideline and policy, which greatly restrict them to provide the most adequate and tangible assistance for the trafficked. Neither can small organizations or NGOs always have additional resources for the trafficked. Thus, it is high time for governments, international organizations and small local organizations to further liaise with each other. We can then support each other mutually.
Joint statement with MFWW on the case of trafficked women
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Trafficked women from Indonesia received no help In order to improve their living standard, 3 Indonesian women left home to work in another country. They paid HK$5000 to HK$10,000 to the agent, believed that they could obtain a working permit to work in Korea. However, the unscrupulous agent took the money and left them in China. Since Middle of April 2007 they could not go anywhere but had to stay in the place where the agent arranged for them. After 2 months, they got rid of the place and tried to seek help in China. They first went to the Guangzhou Public Security Department, but the Guangzhou bureau claimed that they were not responsible for a case of this kind and refused to help. They told the women to go to the Zhongshan Public Security Department, but the later refused to help them for the same reason. The women were then told to go to the Zhuhai bureau, which refused to handle the case again by saying the case was an Immigration Department affair. Eventually, the Zhuhai immigration refused to handle the case as the women had not got any money. They were repeatedly refused and rejected, and had to wander in 5 days. Being homeless in an unfamiliar country, they were indeed exposed to robbery or even rape, bearing huge pressure. Zi Teng and the Mission for Migrant Workers, a local migrant workers concern groups, were informed of the case on 10 June 2007. We immediately took actions and escorted the women to the Indonesia Consulate in Guangzhou. Nevertheless, the Consulate saw the women as criminals breaching the condition of stay. The Consulate not only failed to provide assistance for them, they also penalized the women, telling the women to prepare for the fine by loan to the Indonesian Consulate, or they would be sent to prison. The women had informed their case to the Indonesian Consulate in Guangzhou for almost 30 days, not only they did not receive any assistance, No one can tell them when they can go home. Very often, the victims of trafficking can hardly get rid of the dangerous situation. With sufficient resources and power of influence, the governments and the concerned organizations should be more than able to provide the most appropriate support for the victims of trafficking, help them go home safely. Nonetheless, the women in this case obtained no help and were exposed to great hurt because of some irresponsible government departments and organizations. The government departments and concerned organizations should make good use of their resources and provide adequate assistance for the needed and victims. They should pay particular attention and care on the needs and feelings of the victims. They should not shirk their responsibility and shift the blame onto others, particularly onto the victims by penalizing them and increasing their hurt. We demand:
Contact: Zi Teng staff Chung Sze Wan 2332 7182 / 30/7/2007 |
List of Donors (June/2007 – August/2007)
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We apologize for any omissions!!
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