Sex workers seek legal recognition

Video: Sex workers seek legal recognition
2015-10-19
http://www.dailymirror.lk/91875/video-sex-workers-seek-legal-recognition

An organization calling itself the Centre for Sex Worker’s Rights (CSWR) today requested President Maithripala Sirisena to legalise their occupation and provide them legal recognition so that they could continue with their profession without any hindrance.

CSWR Co-President B. Maheshwari said those who criticized their profession had neglected to look into how and why sex workers had been forced into this situation.

“I’m here in this occupation today because of my husband. If he hadn’t abandoned me and our two kids, I wouldn’t have to do this. Husbands should learn not to leave their wives. When a girl is helpless, men try to take advantage of her and ruin her life. It’s not the government or the police who are helping us to make ends meet. I’m doing this to feed my children and to educate them,” she told a news conference.

She charged the police were arresting them for a fine of Rs. 100 and putting them in jails for one and a half month. “What people don’t know is that police come to us the day before they arrest us and pay us for the service and the next day they arrest us. When we are in jail for a month, there is no one to look after our kids. This is why we request the President to provide us some concession and to legalise the occupation,” she said.

Addressing the news conference, political activist Wikramabahu Karunaratne said a legal immunity was needed to protect sex workers from those who are suppressing them and treating them like slaves.

CSWR National Organiser Attorney Senaka Perera said the Vagrants Ordinance of Sri Lanka should be abolished which allows the police to arrest a woman only for standing by herself at a bus halt but not a man for the very same reason.

“Most of these workers are not engaged in the occupation willingly but the police approach towards them is very inhumane. Today, even Ministers considers about the appearance when hiring a secretary and they might also have to act as sex workers,” he said adding that they were not attempting to promote the occupation but only attempting to protect sex workers.

“Their rights are also human rights,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sakuni Mayadunne who is a transgender, requested the President to facilitate a mechanism to change their Identity cards once they underwent sex change. She said she had to face many difficulties because she could not change her ID after the sex change.

“If politicians can seek our votes and it means something, what’s stopping them from accepting us? We too are human” she said. (Lahiru Pothmulla and Sanath Desmond)

Video by Buddika

Let this remain illegal but tolerated industry as it is now..

there are lots of cons and pros.

Lets here them then Plz.  

nis2008 wrote:there are lots of cons and pros.

දැන් ඉතින් අපේ පිරිමි ටික කෑගහන්න පටන් ගනීවි. ඔතන 60% වැරදි කරු පිරිමි වෙන්න පුළුවන්. සරලව කියනවනම් භාණ්ඩයක ඉල්ලුම අඩුනම් සැපයුම අඩුවී නිෂ්පාදකයා වෙනත් නිෂ්පාදන ක්‍රියාවලියකට යොමු වෙනවා. හැබැයි ඉල්ලුම වැඩිනම් සැපයුම වැඩි වෙනවා.

Exactly but aren't they too provide a service.

nis2008 wrote:දැන්  ඉතින්  අපේ  පිරිමි  ටික  කෑගහන්න  පටන්  ගනීවි. ඔතන 60% වැරදි  කරු  පිරිමි  වෙන්න  පුළුවන්. සරලව  කියනවනම්  භාණ්ඩයක  ඉල්ලුම  අඩුනම් සැපයුම  අඩුවී   නිෂ්පාදකයා වෙනත්  නිෂ්පාදන  ක්‍රියාවලියකට  යොමු  වෙනවා. හැබැයි ඉල්ලුම  වැඩිනම්  සැපයුම  වැඩි  වෙනවා.

Kith and Nis

Let me write a lengthy article with 30 years odd experience in the subject matter.

However it will take some time until I find a leisure time to run back in my memory lanes along Pagoda Road, Sagara Lane, Liberty Plaza, Sunshine, Green Inn, star class hotels, pavement, houses under construction, Lester James Peiris Mawatha... Concord..etc...

I think the wait will be worthwhile.

yellow knife wrote:Kith and Nis
Let me write a lengthy article with 30 years odd experience in the subject matter.
However it will take some time until I find a leisure time to run back in my memory lanes along Pagoda Road, Sagara Lane, Liberty Plaza, Sunshine, Green Inn, star class hotels, pavement, houses under construction, Lester James Peiris Mawatha... Concord..etc...

This should be legalised but in very very strict manner. But our religious leaders will jump up n down.

Who will have the required testicles to talk about the rape of the "Abitthayas" at temples island wide ?

According to my understanding, in Buddhism, there are few trades mentioned as un-ethical or bad to the world. viz;

1. Trade of animal
2. Trade of meat
3 Trade of weapons
4 Trade of addictive drugs

So, the subject matter is not mentioned as bad, as far as the society accept it as required.

What I see, as required, is not the legalization of prostitution, but elimination of defining it as a legal offence.

(After all, is it a legal offence; on which basis?)

http://prostitution.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000115

HUNTER wrote:According to my understanding, in Buddhism,  there are few trades mentioned as un-ethical or bad to the world. viz;

1. Trade of animal
2. Trade of meat
3  Trade of weapons
4  Trade of addictive drugs

So, the subject matter is not mentioned as bad, as far as the society accept it as required.

What I see, as required, is not the legalization of prostitution, but elimination of defining it as a legal offence.

(After all, is it a legal offence; on which basis?)

A better interpretation of what Buddha said was, those acts that were "unskilled" rather than " bad".
Btw how are the Buddhist who are holding BFL and TAFL doing these days.

Backstage wrote:
Btw how are the Buddhist who are holding BFL and TAFL doing these days.

Backstage wrote:

HUNTER wrote:According to my understanding, in Buddhism,  there are few trades mentioned as un-ethical or bad to the world. viz;

1. Trade of animal
2. Trade of meat
3  Trade of weapons
4  Trade of addictive drugs

So, the subject matter is not mentioned as bad, as far as the society accept it as required.

What I see, as required, is not the legalization of prostitution, but elimination of defining it as a legal offence.

(After all, is it a legal offence; on which basis?)

A better interpretation of what Buddha said was, those acts that were "unskilled" rather than " bad".
Btw how are the Buddhist who are holding BFL and TAFL doing these days.

Well, that is 'food' know?

Guys why not you watch Ajasaththa Film these days.

many of you believe Buddhism as a preaching of Devadaththa than Lord Buddha..

It is Devadaththa who said Bikkhus should not eat meat throughout life time and not Lord Buddha..

There were Buddhist devotees as prostitutes..

Buddhism is not disciplining by regulations.. However Vinaya Pitakaya is there to discipline monks later..

yellow knife wrote:Let this remain illegal but tolerated industry as it is now..

I like your idea here. But being this illegal and  taking place under cover, many sex workers are exploited by the powerful people who provide legal shelter for them, I mean their earnings largely compromised and goes to a third party. For lower end sex workers in the street, they have to give free service to the Thug of the area and/or to police people in order to continue their occupation without go into jail.

I think with increasing number of tourists, we get some foreign players in the market as well from Thailand, Russia,China Korea etc , again not very good as they take our foreign currency away, on the other hand if these professional players provide a good service, we will attract more and more tourists. I think significant percentage of holiday makers come to Asia expecting a full package including gambling and sex !!!!!!!

To me, this is another form of Service, hence it should have equal protection and regulatory controls.

It seems that I cannot delay my writing

Let me start up saying I too had literature based views like Prostitutes are poor and exploited when I was a teenager.

But after having enough experience in the subject matter I too agree to Kith saying its another service.

Yet I am not for legalizing it but tolerating it like as it is now.

Let me start up in my usual a slice at once style.

Most of the brothels are in operation under a cover of another business and most commonly under Aurvedic Massage Parlour.

Remember the places which I mention with name are already closed and places where I just mention are still in operation.

I met Sriyani Akka may be 30 years ago and now she is a grand-mother and a retired practitioner.. Yes like any other service provider one day you have to retire and for like musicians on stage when demand is on decline it force you to retire.

She owned her wealth from the service she offer. Her house , children's and children's children and the vehicles she own which are rented all earned form the profession. Like many other practitioners they buy gold as an investment. Its easy. Its a collateral. And despite the high income they don't have the knowledge of investing in other options.

Like any other service provider she worked in many places. Its the same crowd that moves around all the brothels in the country. Since the demand and freedom is so high owners find it difficult to restrict their mobility.

Durdens Hospital annual report says that patients seek individual doctors by name and having them in the hospital increase the intake of patients. Same apply in this field as well.

Very rarely you find prostitutes who could not manage their income. Since they spend most of the time sitting and chatting with equals they move in the same direction economically. Leasing three wheelers, renting them, buying jewelery, pawning them , saving in banks all discussed and all move in equal manner.

When males income increase they often mismanage them by spending on liquor, or prostitutes. But when prostitutes earn they manage their earning well. They get economic power which silence the relatives who later come to know their real profession, as when they are arrested from time to time.

There are incidents that even if they retire with age, some of them claim for pension !, but How ?
They black mail their past customers with very good reputation, revaling the things to family and the society and demand more and more money to keep the secrets.
I have read stories about such events led to the murder of retired sex workers by their past customers.  So beware guys !

I have heard that in World Maps in old era " Terra Incognita " is written .. That means these lands are not identified and enter beware.

But the Sailors like Sinbad ( hey that is Sin and Bad ) entered them bravely and found all luxuries in.

Anyway my second though is being a senior citizen I dont have any right to usher the young generation for Bad.

So let me just conclude stating why I am against legalizing this

Decades ago it is the mothers who entered to this field as husbands left them alone. Next era the garment girls who found freedom in Colombo, Katunayaka who had hopes of a good life with a new found boy-friend entered this after shattering the dreams.

Now its unmarried young girls just after A/Ls with no prior working experience enter this field as it is the highest paid un-skilled job.

Further the husbands come to pick sex-worker ( their wives )  them after office hours .

These two trends are very bad. It will destroy the whole social fabric of this nation. This is why I am against legalizing..

Anyway with thin I end my commenting on this...Still somewhere in my mind I have a belief like any other senior citizen that it is not our duty to usher young to wrong path.

That's encouraging YK that you stick to your fundamental principles no matter what!

I am sure you will always like to live in honour and also die in honour. Nice to have guys like you around!

Think of your daughter,,married,and husband forcing her prosttiution,,to earn money for him by doing nothing by himself,,will u want to leagalise it still

http://sinhala.adaderana.lk/webgossip/sex-workers-press/#

Probably the first open media conference