Despite the government regulations and cultural stigmas, prostitution still exists as an underground business industry in southeast Asian countries. This essay focuses on the factors contributing to an “open secret” industry in Asia, its current status and what governments could possibly consider to prevent human trafficking and public health issues in the sex industry. Sex work has been remaining in Asian with long ancient history. This could be a main reason for why sex industry appears in Asia. Historically, government-run prostitution was emerged during many Dynasties in Asia. Professor Liang and Cao mention that prostitution once was considered normal and widely accepted in China. “During the golden eras of Chinese literary history (Tang and Song dynasties), almost every great poet or politician mentioned his visits to prostitutes without any shame. It is not an exaggeration to claim that prostitutes played a role in stimulating some of the best poems in Chinese history” (Liang and Cao). In the other words, prostitution once was considered a norm in the China. In a deep level of perception, …show more content…
Sex workers is vulnerable to violence and crime because the government refusal of prostitution while considering as an underground sector of business. In the Asian’s Dirty Secret, the author suggests the government should approach the issue with “human-rights framework”. That is, prostitution should be recognized as work. However, it should clearly distinguish between voluntary prostitution and trafficking. Without a clear policy to ensure the woman’s right, policymakers might accidentally promote trafficking. One successful implementation of this is in Australia, voluntary sex workers experience a high-satisfied working environment as well as ensure their