Here is an interview with a sex worker in Myanmar. Her recommendations on legal reform look reasonable.
Jamie
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How sex workers are weathering the pandemic
Asia Catalyst
no link to article
October 2020
This week, we bring you a Q&A with Sex Workers in Myanmar ("SWiM") and a new report from the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, below. We're proud to have SWiM in our 2020 human rights and advocacy training program. This month we interviewed a member on what she's fighting for, and how COVID-19 has changed things.
Hla Hla is 36 years old and has been a member of SWiM for three years. SWiM has more than 5,000 members and works to support sex workers, reform the Prostitution Act, and decriminalize sex work. Below is our edited interview.
When did you start working as a sex worker?
I have been working as a sex worker for 13 years. When I divorced with my husband, there was no income, there was nobody to support us. I had no choice; I had to work in order to look after my daughter and my mother, and started to do sex work.
Have you experienced discrimination or harassment from family, friends, or others in the community?
My daughter and I face discrimination. The people from our ward didn’t want me to participate in the social events and my daughter couldn't play with her friends.
How has your life changed since the COVID-19 outbreak?
My life has been turned upside down. There is no income because bars are closed, and we dare not go outside because police are patrolling the streets. Even if we do go outside there is no work, no clients. Therefore, our family can hardly even scrounge together daily meals. I always worry about tomorrow. SWiM has supported me with basic food like rice, cooking oil to stay afloat. Until now, I haven’t received any support from the government or other services, just from SWiM.
Have you had any run-ins with police over the current Prostitution Law?
Three years ago, when I worked at a karaoke bar, a policeman came in pretending to be customer. He inquired about the fees and then gave money to one of our friends. The policeman then locked the door and said we all were arrested and brought us to the station. Our friend who received the money was imprisoned for more than a year and the rest of us served three and a half months.
What do you think of the current law?
The 1949 Prostitution Law means that no matter how police treat us, we dare not say anything because we are illegal. Even though carrying condoms is not a crime, sex workers do not dare because police will arrest them and use it against them. Most of us are struggling financially. At the very least, punishment under the law law should be amended so the first time, sex workers are arrested, we are only issued a warning; the second time, we pay a fine; and they cannot be put in jail until the third time.
What changes would you like to see in terms of how sex work is regarded? What's 1 wish you have for your future?
I would like to see society treat me warmly, to be free from discrimination, and treated like any other person. I want the current prostitution law to be amended so I can live like a human being and participate in social events without fear. One of my greatest wishes is to run a small grocery store; like other women I want to work a stable job with dignity.
