The idea of punishing men instead of female sex workers is attractive to people who want to do something that doesn't target women. The problem is that it doesn't work. Sweden has tried it. Sex work and female sex worker safety did not decrease. Caning is barbaric.

BTW, decriminalisation works.

Jamie

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Prostitutes’ customers could face prison time
Pyae Thet Phyo
Myanmar Times
Thursday, 23 July 2015

A parliamentary committee has called for customers of prostitutes to face imprisonment under amendments to the 1949 Suppression of Prostitution Act – but not to be caned, as originally proposed by the government.

Only prostitutes are punished under the existing version of the law. The amendments were submitted to parliament by Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brigadier General Kyaw Kyaw Tun on June 29. He said they were necessary to adjust the law “from a health and human rights point of view”.

The original amendment proposed caning men caught with a prostitute. However, after discussing the issue with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement on July 20, the bill committee recommended the punishment be changed to a prison term of up to one year with hard labour, and a fine.

The committee also proposed adding a section on providing education to prostitutes in an effort to “rehabilitate” them.

Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Aung Myin instructed MPs wanting to debate the amendments to register by July 24.

In 2013, National League for Democracy MP Daw Sandar Min proposed decriminalising sex work but her motion was overwhelmingly rejected by the lower house.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/15628-prostitutes-customers-could-face-prison-time.html