While some men in Nay Pyi Taw are in interested in analysing the long list of new governmental appointees, others are pursuing more prurient interests. "Military intelligence" is still involved in the sex industry, it appears. One wonders how one pays money to "Township Peace and Development Council and Province Peace and Development Council" as they have officially ceased to exist.
Condoms are not mentioned in the article.
This is brave reporting.
[him] moderator
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Naypyidaw's Sex Industry Appears Untouchable
Si Thu
The Irrawaddy
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
NAYPYIDAW—The sex industry in the Pyinmanar section of Naypyidaw is still operating as usual two weeks after authority at Naypyidaw has issued regulations intended to curtail the sex trade in the new capital's karaoke lounges, beauty salons, music bars and massage parlors, local residents told The Irrawaddy.
"Most business are just doing fine despite the new regulations. A new a massage parlor opened on Paung Laung Street yesterday," said a local resident.
But local people noted that the small-scale sex business operators in suburban areas usually become the victims of crackdowns by authorities, rather than full-sized karaoke and massage parlors that operate openly downtown and are considered untouchable. This appears to be the case in Pyinmamar.
"The authorities were taking action against these [small-scale] businesses recently. They even made arrests in daylight. But as usual, La Min Eain on Cherry Street and Tawwin Nan in the York Thaw Inn—which are famous because you find everything there such as karaoke lounges, music bars, beauty salons and massage parlors—have never stopped running their business. The victims were the small-scale ones," said a resident of Yawr Kauk ward.
An officer with the Joint Crime Suppression Force, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that it is difficult to arrest the big sex business owners since they seek protection from higher officers in the police and army by giving them bribes known as "fees."
According to the owners of some brothels that masquerade as karaoke lounges, beauty salons, music bars and massage parlors, different monthly fees—from 50,000 kyat to 100,000 kyat (US $ 58 to $ 116)—are paid to the local township police chief, the local police first lieutenant, local intelligent units (i.e. the Information Unit of Police, Military Affairs Security Unit and Bureau of Special Investigations) as well as 100,000 kyat to funds for the local police force, district police force, Township Peace and Development Council and Province Peace and Development Council.
“My monthly fees for the different levels of authorities are from 600,000 kyat ($ 698) to 700,000 kyat ($ 814) as my restaurant is a big one. Smaller business owners have to give about 300,000 kyat ($ 349) for monthly fees," said a karaoke owner on Razahtarni Road.
"Even if we really need to arrest them, we can't as the owners tell us how they are connected with senior officers in the government apparatus such as the Information Unit, Ministry of Defense, Military Affairs Security Unit, or such. If we don’t' make any arrest, we are asked by our superiors for the explanation. It is really disappointing," an official from the Joint Crime Suppression Force said.
He declined to provide the names of shareholders in sex trade businesses who are from the military and police forces.
"Many of the brothels are located on the side of Razahtarni road. For this distinction, the road has been nicknamed by local people as 'Massage Htarni' Road,” a resident on Razahtarni Road said.
Before the Burmese government moved its administration offices moved to Pyinmanar in 2006, there were only a few massage parlors, karaoke lounges and music bars in town, but today there are many more, according to local business owner.
“People from construction projects are regular customers because they can make money very easily. They work at the construction site for the whole day and enjoy having beer at karaoke lounges or at massage parlors at night. Local people with little financial assets can't afford to it," the business owner said.
"Let's say at a massage parlor in Rangoon, they charge you from 2,500 kyat ($ 2.9) to 3,000 kyat ($ 3.5) per one hour session. Here we charge you 5,000 kyat ($ 5.8) per 45 minute session. You can ask as much as you want from construction people. They pay you as if they were giving you plain paper," said a government servant who was transferred to Naypyidaw from Rangoon.
"The massage parlor I used work at in Rangoon only charged 4,000 kyat ($ 4.6) per session and 700 kyat ($ 0.8) was commissioned for the service girl. Here it is 6,000 kyat ($ 6.9) per session and I get paid 5,000 kyat per session, but the construction people usually give big tip money also—sometimes up to 100,000 kyat. When I was in Rangoon, I couldn’t' make much money as our regular customers were government servants. But here in Pyinmanar, wherever we work we can make big amounts of money," said Ma Thuza (not her real name), 22, who moved to work in Naypyidaw from Rangoon.
Ma Thuza, who told her parents that she was working at a beauty salon, said she provides her family 200,000 kyat ($ 232) per month.
"I don’t' really think that other types of job will help me assist my family's survival. I will quit this job one day and I have been saving my own money for that day," Ma Thuza said.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=21039
