After experiencing severe floods caused by the record-breaking Typhoon Nari (
I could hardly believe it when I heard this news. I still remember that Ma actually criticized then mayor Chen Shui-bian (
Ma, once again, has said with all sincerity and seriousness that "This time it's for real."
Taipei residents, of course, are delighted to hear this. It would certainly be a blessing for all residents if Ma had the boldness to drive the sex industry from the city and bring back a clean and peaceful living environment for its residents. But how will Ma deal with the livelihood of those working in the sex industry at a time when the nation is undergoing an economic downturn? How will he explain himself to voters in the sex industry who supported him? How will he resolve these contradictions and problems? He should offer a clear explanation by the end of October.
As I understand it, when Chen was in office, the Commission for the Promotion of Women's Rights (台北市婦女權益促進委員會), under the city's Bureau of Social Affairs, worked very hard to propose various solutions to the city's sex industry problem. Since Ma replaced Chen, however, all the policies on the matter have been changed. He ordered the commission to establish a "sex industry policy research team" to study the possibility of establishing a special red light district, and adopting other complementary measures. A large amount of money, time and manpower has been invested in such studies.
Now, even before the results are published, Ma has suddenly changed course and vowed to expel the sex industry from the city. Will he trash all the efforts made by the city government staff? His decision must have felt like a slap on the face to the many scholars on the commission.
For Taipei, the nation's capital and an international metropolis, the handling of the city's sex industry is the greatest challenge for those in power. The mayor cannot solve the difficulties by merely lecturing the police or mouthing slogans. Instead, he needs to come up with concrete policies and solutions. All-round complementary measures, as well as the city's cultural and economic conditions, should also be taken into account. If the mayor only talks the talk but does not walk the walk, he will let down not only the highly sophisticated Taipei voters but also those in the sex industry and other related industries.
A good policy has to be continued. Ma should not follow Chen's policy aimed at eliminating the local sex industry if he thinks the policy was wrong. He certainly should follow the policy if he thinks it was right. His recent actions, however, are confusing, as it is difficult to find consistency in his ideas and policies. I do not believe that the city's sex industry is merely a temporary problem. Neither do I believe that we Taipei residents should resign ourselves to fate. Isn't it time for our residents to stand up and speak out?
Hsu Chia-ching is secretary general of the Taiwan Women's Link.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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