I refer to the letter by Jenny Yung Ling-fung headlined, 'Tourists would like red-light district' (South China Morning Post, January 6).
I disagree with Ms Yung that an officially-sanctioned red-light district should be established in Hong Kong. Prostitution is an evil and we cannot encourage it by setting up a special district for the people who commit it.
I have read a lot of stories in newspapers and magazines and seen television reports about the lives these women lead. I have not read of any prostitutes who are glad to be doing this kind of job. Most are forced into it, because they have no money and have not been able to find any other way to earn a living. Many of them are from the mainland. They came here hoping to find a better standard of living, but they got into debt with whoever helped them get into Hong Kong. They are then forced into becoming sex workers until they have paid off the debt.
If a red-light district was set up, there would be an increase in the rate of crime in Hong Kong. Firstly, more girls would come here illegally, sure that they could earn a lot of money within a short period of time. Secondly, as the district was legal, there would be a greater demand for girls, because of the increasing number of Hong Kong people wanting to buy their services. Thirdly, since some of the prostitutes would be underage, there would be more men in Hong Kong paying for sex with minors and that is a crime in the SAR.
Ms Yung talked about the annoying and, for some, frightening presence of prostitutes plying their trade on the streets. The only way to solve this problem is to remove the prostitutes altogether. Setting up a red-light district will only make things worse.
I do not think the Government will adopt this idea.
