TEMPO.CO, Jakarta- Prostitution, people say, is the world`s oldest profession. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to stamp it out. Together with narcotics, prostitution is an illegal activity closely linked to the nightlife in major cities. In Jakarta, for example, sexual transactions have continued unabated even after Governor Anies Baswedan refused to extend the business license of the Alexis hotel and spa, accused of being a center of high-class prostitution in the capital, last October. The provincial government, however, did not take issue with its club and karaoke license, and now the prostitution going on there is able to continue through that business branch.
Rather than shut shop, Alexis instead became '4Play', a rather more 'in your face' terminology. In Jakarta, Alexis is not the only such place providing prostitution services. Similar 'entertainment' centers are scattered throughout Jakarta and are still operating freely as usual.
The biggest irony of Alexis' closure is that the Jakarta government is more or less dependent on the income from this sector. In 2016, the Jakarta government took in Rp769.5 billion in taxes from such entertainment centers. That figure comes second only to the city government's income from motor vehicle and property taxes. Alexis alone contributes between Rp2.4 to Rp3 billion per month. This tax is deducted directly from, among others, the coupons sold at the hotel for prostitution services.
Prostitution is certainly an extraordinary business. In Jakarta, the nightlife entertainment business is controlled by three big players. They own a network of hotels in various locations that offer 'full' services, such as clubs, karaoke, spas, and rooms. An investigation by this magazine discovered prostitution and narcotics dealing happening at places owned by network members. Research by the National Narcotics Agency strengthens these findings: 36 out of 81 entertainment places in Jakarta clearly deal in illegal drugs.
Formally, all these places are really no different from the other hotels operating under the Regional Regulations on Tourism. These regulations, among others, require the business owners to "prevent all forms of immoral and illegal activities from happening there." Regional Regulations on Public Order also forbid any person or business entity from "providing and/or using any building or home for immoral purposes." Places of entertainment that contravene these regulations will be closed down if they do not comply with their first warning letters.
Nevertheless, markets always do appear wherever there is a demand for their services. Especially in a 'megapolitan' like Jakarta, where the presence of a nightlife is unavoidable. In the face of a never-dwindling demand, all these regulations are meaningless if no effort is made to enforce them. Rather than declining, these illegal businesses can continue to grow and operate using hotels and their supporting facilities as fronts.
This business has a darker side as it is also involved in human trafficking. A Tempo investigatory team found women mired in debt, ‘quarantined’ under close guard outside working hours, and forced to work at various places of entertainment. They work through agencies collaborating with those places. The National Women’s Commission says that what these women are experiencing falls within the category of human trafficking.
Governor Anies should be actively working to enforce all these regulations. Unfortunately, he was trapped in the political aspects that turned the ‘closure of Alexis Hotel’ into just some sort of show. It could be that he wanted to give some proof of a spontaneous statement he made during a debate with gubernatorial candidates last year. After attacking the then incumbent governor by saying "on the issue of forced evictions (the Capital’s government) is tough, but on prostitution it is weak," he declared he would close down Alexis Hotel if elected. He did later demonstrate that by refusing to extend the hotel’s operating permit.
The politicization of the prostitution issue means that any action his government takes will not be substantial ones. The Governor is only focused on Alexis, which in turn shrewdly changed its name. He forgot about the associated illegal network linked to the world of prostitution, and its human trafficking practices. His public statements on the closure of Alexis also gave prominence to his effort to ‘uphold morality’, rather than focusing on his public responsibilities.
The Jakarta government, working together with the police, ought to instead focus its attention on the human and narcotics trafficking issues. Clearly, this is not easy, because such crimes usually involve the backing of a strong network. As an indication, Tempo observed the strong security at the ‘quarantine’ facility for the sex workers, some of whom are trapped there by debt. The firmness and courage of the new governor will undoubtedly be truly tested in tackling this serious issue.
Read the full article in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
