It is sometimes difficult to tell when police are simply naive and when they are being clever.
Jamie
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Police: Menbox just a normal massage parlour
Eleven Media
Thursday, 29 January 2015 18:59
The Ahlone Township Police Force and the township administrators after inspecting the Menbox Health & Beauty Spa which opened in Ahlone Township on January 26 said that the Menbox is just a normal massage parlour.
“When we went to inspect the spa, we saw normal massage services. There were no sexual services,” Police Col Tun Shwe told the Eleven Media.
Most of the male-exclusive massage parlours provide sexual services to gays and women under the guise of health and beauty spa.
The Weekly Eleven News Journal on January 26 published an article with photos that such male-exclusive massage parlours were providing sexual services under spa licences. For the time being, no official action has been taken against the massage parlours.
Concerning the news report, Managing Director of Menbox Health & Beauty Spa Kyaw Kyaw Lwin came to the Eleven Media Group to clarify the report.
He said: “We do not provide such services. The photos of the parlour the Eleven Media Group used on the front page have been opened two days earlier. The news title is about male prostitution. The news photo is nothing to do with the story. The readers might be confused that our parlour provides such services. It has affected my spa image (Menbox’s image) since the famous news journal printed my spa photo.”
What is more, the Menbox Health & Beauty Spa wants an apology from EMG. Otherwise, they will file a lawsuit against the EMG.
In fact, reporters of the EMG have already investigated the male-exclusive massage parlours in person, including Menbox Health & Beauty Spa.
EMG’s reporters posed as job seeker during the investigation. The manager of Menbox said: “This is a spa-cum-massage parlour. We teach the new employees how to provide the service properly. This is a standard procedure. We will explain it in detail if you pass the interview. Sometimes, customers try to touch and hug the massagers and it depends on you. Basic salary is Ks. 30,000, plus a 15 per cent for each section. You can earn pocket money from customers.”
What is more, the manager continued that the service providers earn about Ks. 200,000 to Ks. 400,000 per month. The working time is from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. They need to be on standby at the parlour all the time.
However, they can go out not more than one hour. They can also go out after the parlour is closed at night. The spa is closed at 11:30 p.m. Then, they can sleep anywhere they wish. If they have clients, they can go out with them at night. They will earn extra money depending on them.
Last December, a motion was tabled to Yangon Region parliament to legalise massage parlours.
However, Colonel Tin Win, regional minister for security and border affairs, argued that it was impossible to regulate massage parlours because it goes against the Myanmar culture and morality.
"We take legal action and make arrests regarding any act that goes against the law. But such cases could not be avoided everywhere. We are also taking measures to close and seal massage parlours running in Yangon under the guise of beauty parlours and to prosecute the owners. Registered beauty saloons and KTVs are found to be providing massage and sexual services. So, we are exposing them and taking legal action.
“Legalising massage parlours will earn the government more taxes but we cannot allow it as it is contrary to our Buddhist culture. Those wishing to establish this kind of businesses always find a way around to do so.
“Moreover, Yangon Region alone cannot implement the law. There are other regions and states. So, the passing of the law concerns the Union government," said the minister.
The proposal was submitted by MP Thaung Kyaw for Yangon Township Constituency (1).
Although massage parlours are not legally allowed in Yangon, officials from the regional government, when contacted about male massage parlours on Wednesday, declined to answer as they were in a meeting.
Yangon City Development Committee also followed suit when contacted, although it issues licences to those beauty saloons and KTVS and collect taxes.
In the area of rule of law, police are also facing criticism for their failure to expose the perpetrators in some criminal cases.
http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8852:police-menbox-just-a-normal-massage-parlour&catid=44:national&Itemid=384
