Prostitution Thrives After Ramadan Rest
Agus Maryono
The
Sat, 10/03/2009 2:04 PM
Hundreds of female
sex workers have returned to the tourist site of Baturaden, located in Banyumas
regency in the southwestern part of
Their numbers are
expected to increase as it has been claimed some sex workers will bring new
members.
"This is
common," Baturaden Tourist Community Association (PMPB) leader, Tekad
Santoso, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. (This happens every
year [this report is pertaining to one small muslim resort city where wealthy
muslims flock to after Ramadan, this report does not take into account what
occurs muslim country by muslim country and muslim city by muslim city])
"After their
rest during Ramadan, the numbers *of sex workers* will rise, and Baturaden will
be full of new faces." He predicted prostitute numbers would rise by up to
15 percent.
"There are
usually about 200 women. But when they finish celebrating Idul Fitri in their
hometowns, this figure will grow as they will bring along their friends,"
Tekad said.
He believes the arrival
of new members will change the dynamics of the Baturaden resort. On the one
hand, new members would add to the attraction.
On the other hand,
newcomers might be upset they were brought into the industry.
"After Idul Fitri festivities, (Ramadan’s Close) it's common for (Muslim) customers to want new prostitutes,' Tekad said. "They
are willing to pay high amounts to be divided between pimps and
prostitutes."
He added newcomers
who were virgins were priced at around Rp 2 million (about US$200) while
sexually active newcomers could fetch around Rp 600,000.
"I know the
life on
"Deep in my
heart I disagree with the act of prostitution, but even the local
administration condones the practice.
"It has
existed here for dozens of years and has prevailed unabated," Tekad added.
According to
Tekad, 90 percent of the newcomers follow in the footsteps of their
predecessors, and only 10 percent return home.
"They are
usually lured into the industry by their predecessors on the pretext they would
be offered decent jobs. Members don't tell potential workers until they arrive,
because their offers would be rejected," he said.
"When they
arrive in Baturaden, new recruits might initially resist, but because they
don't have enough money to return home, they gradually give in."
He added almost
100 percent of sex workers on
Some workers also
come from
Tekad said
HIV/AIDS activists had often voiced their concern about the prostitution that
had occurred in Baturaden. They believed prostitution played a major role in
the rising number of people with HIV/AIDS.
"I'm also a
member of an AIDS prevention initiative in Banyumas that provides knowledge to
prostitutes and pimps to help curb the fatal disease."
The Banyumas regency
administration, added Tekad, had been passive on preventing HIV/AIDS.
It had provided a
Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) clinic in the area to conduct tests, but
had not provided routine medication or initiated HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns.
"Banyumas
regency currently has the second-highest number of people with HIV/AIDS in
Central Java after
Banyumas Tourist
Resort Development Agency head, Sudjatmiko, confirmed the matter.
"The local
social, tourism and health offices had provided counseling in the past, but no
longer do so," Sudjatmiko said.
"As it
stands, the sex industry has no limits."