Sat, Jan 12, 2002 page1

• Taiwan sex guide makes a fool of Ma

  `TAIWAN PARADISE' A newly published guidebook highlighting Taiwan's flourishing sex industry has once again brought criticism of Taipei's limp battle against the flesh trade

  • By Sandy Huang / STAFF REPORTER
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  A Taipei City councilor yesterday showed off a newly released book on prostitution in Taiwan to lambast the Taipei and Kaohsiung city governments for failing to eradicate the sex industry.

  The three Japanese authors claim they wrote the book based on their own experience. The 200-page guidebook, entitled Paradise in Taiwan, details information on Taipei and Kaohsiung cities' sex industry with photos, maps and information such as prices, service descriptions and the names of streets and hotels in which sex services can be found.

  "Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) says he is determined to eliminate the city's sex industry," said Wang Shih-chien (王世堅), a DPP city councilor. "But why has Taipei become a sex haven in the eyes of the Japanese?"

  Wang was referring to a campaign launched by Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou last September. Ma at the time promised that he would completely wipe out prostitution in Taipei within 90 days.

  However, Ma retracted his promise just two months later. Ma conceded the difficulty of driving out the entire sex industry. Still planning to press on with the campaign, Ma taunted the sex industry. "If you [the sex industry] dare, don't run away. We'll make it difficult for you to survive and we'll eventually catch you," he said.

  Wang said, "Apparently, the sex industry heard Ma and it has not only decided to stay but has also grown arrogant and has managed to build up a name big enough to attract foreigners."

  "It is a shame that the Japanese know where to find sexual services in Taipei City but Mayor Ma and the Taipei City police don't," said Wang.

  Wang went on to question whether Ma's campaign was merely a show.

  Taipei City Government spokesman Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) said that "the city government is continuing with its effort to eradicate the sex industry." Wu added that the public should not ignore past police efforts, "based on the authors' biased descriptions and the contents of a book that remain to be verified."

  "It's possible that the book was written a few years ago and that its information is out of date," Wu said, pointing out that some of the hotels listed in the book "are no longer in existence."

  While disagreeing with Wu's remarks, Ma admitted that the contents of the book are likely factual, at least to a certain extent, and that "the city government would try to find out why such an impression has been left with foreigners," said Ma.

  Meanwhile, Ma voiced his frustration with the authors, saying that they had offended both Taipei citizens and himself by disregarding the city's efforts against the sex industry.

  Both Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Mayor Ma said that they had ordered city police to investigate the places listed in the book and to ask for a removal of the books from bookshelves.

  "The police have the right to confiscate the book," said Lin Shih-hsi (林志熹), section head of the Kaohsiung City Police Headquarters, "because the obscene photos are offensive to the public."
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