The Chiayi City Council passed a motion to assess the possibility of establishing a regulated red-light district in the city. Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) said that the city government would examine the legality and feasibility of the proposal, but the most important thing is to consult the public.
In 2011, the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) was amended to allow local governments to set up regulated red-light districts, yet no city mayor or county commissioner has done so. Establishing a red-light district is a sensitive issue, and no officials would want to go against existing social conventions. It is difficult to persuade the public to accept such an arrangement.
Undeniably, the majority of Taiwanese are bound by conventional norms of morality and customs, considering “sex” to be impure and regarding the sex industry with contempt. However, the truth is that the sex industry has existed for a long time in society. Indeed, it never went away.
Sex workers exist in every corner of the globe and have done so for some time. For one thing, people have sexual needs; for another, the sex industry does not disappear with economic growth. No matter how affluent a society is, there are women who live in poverty who face adverse circumstances, perhaps due to unforeseen changes to their lives, and need to take care of their families. To survive, they become sex workers.
Moreover, those who are unmarried, divorced or widowed have sexual needs, so too do the disabled and migrant workers. In this sense, there is a demand in place for such work. The problem is how the public considers this social issue.
In Europe, red-light districts have been established in cities including Germany’s Hamburg and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Both areas have become popular sightseeing spots. These districts are regulated by the government, and so people’s sexual needs are met and sex workers are protected. With official governance, criminal rings do not have a chance to control and exploit sex workers, whose income and safety is therefore ensured.
Moreover, sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS are more effectively managed. It is a triple-win situation for sex workers, clients and the government.
In Taiwan, the issue of establishing regulated red-light districts has been discussed for years. However, even though the Social Order Maintenance Act was revised to legalize it, no red-light district has yet been set up. One of the main reasons is that in Taiwan, officials are afraid of contravening social conventions and affecting children’s upbringing.
The truth is that in Taiwan, everyone knows where a “red-light” area is while pretending there is no such a thing. Everyone behaves as if there were no sex industry in Taiwan. In the cities, it exists in the form of a high-end hotel, guesthouse or club, and in rural areas, it is there, disguised as a restaurant or snack bar. These places are different in appearance and classified differently, but they all provide entertainment and sexual services.
Rather than hiding the issue and avoiding discussion, we should acknowledge it and deal with it. The sex industry should be institutionalized, legalized and brought to light. The most significant problem now is to change the public’s perceptions of the sex industry, which should not be discriminated against. The public’s needs should not be ignored either. The public should understand sex workers’ reasons for engaging in the industry.
The issue of setting up red-light districts must be discussed and considered in a rational and constructive manner.
Shiao Fu-song is a lecturer at National Taitung University.
Translated by Emma Liu
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
It is being said every second day: The ongoing recall campaign in Taiwan — where citizens are trying to collect enough signatures to trigger re-elections for a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — is orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or even President William Lai (賴清德) himself. The KMT makes the claim, and foreign media and analysts repeat it. However, they never show any proof — because there is not any. It is alarming how easily academics, journalists and experts toss around claims that amount to accusing a democratic government of conspiracy — without a shred of evidence. These
Taiwan is confronting escalating threats from its behemoth neighbor. Last month, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted live-fire drills in the East China Sea, practicing blockades and precision strikes on simulated targets, while its escalating cyberattacks targeting government, financial and telecommunication systems threaten to disrupt Taiwan’s digital infrastructure. The mounting geopolitical pressure underscores Taiwan’s need to strengthen its defense capabilities to deter possible aggression and improve civilian preparedness. The consequences of inadequate preparation have been made all too clear by the tragic situation in Ukraine. Taiwan can build on its successful COVID-19 response, marked by effective planning and execution, to enhance
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has upheld the core goals of “making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” fully implementing an “America first” policy. Countries have responded cautiously to the fresh style and rapid pace of the new Trump administration. The US has prioritized reindustrialization, building a stronger US role in the Indo-Pacific, and countering China’s malicious influence. This has created a high degree of alignment between the interests of Taiwan and the US in security, economics, technology and other spheres. Taiwan must properly understand the Trump administration’s intentions and coordinate, connect and correspond with US strategic goals.