The following article was posted on Asia One on 9 Feb 09.
They came here to sing, but some forced to be prostitutes
She had come to Singapore to earn a living as a lounge singer, or so she thought. Instead she was faced with threats of prostitution and violent beatings. -AsiaOne
Mon, Feb 09, 2009
AsiaOne
She had come to Singapore with hopes of earning a living as a lounge singer, but was instead faced with threats of prostitution and violent beatings.
This was the experience of Mary (not her real name), 24, a Chinese national.
According to the Shin Min Daily News, Mary had arrived in Singapore on Jan 12 this year, and started work the next day at a lounge in Geylang.
However, business was poor and the lounge remained almost empty every single night, she said.
No choice but to be prostitutes
According to Mary, all the female singers employed by the lounge were forced to sing every night, even when there were no customers.
Not only were they forced to sing, they had to pay a $40 fee every night to do so. Only tips given by customers were theirs to keep, but usually there were none.
The boss threatened that those who did not pay up would be forced to prostitute themselves in Geylang.
Those who did not turn up for work were fined $600.
Under his threats, the other girls complied, but Mary adamantly refused.
She said: "With no income and still having to pay the $40 every night, some of us had no choice but to prostitute ourselves after work".
Captured and beaten
She told the Chinese daily that on the night of Jan 22, her boss demanded from her the money that she owed. Lying, she said that she would pay him the next day. Instead, she and her friend, a fellow singer at the lounge, decided to run away.
They then rented an apartment in Geylang. However, while out in the area on Feb 1, her friend was spotted by the boss and caught. Mary ended up being captured as well.
She said: "We called the police immediately". When the police arrived, the two of them were brought to the police station. They were released "on bail" after two days.
To their dismay, their boss was waiting for them outside the station. He claimed he was the one who helped them get out.
Immediately, he demanded money from them. She eventually handed over $400, while her friend gave him $600.
Five days later, Mary requested to be allowed to return to China. However, he refused and gave her a beating instead. The violent attack left her with a cut on her ear and bruises around her eyes.
According to Mary, he slapped her twice, pulled her hair and punched her. He also threw her onto the floor before stepping and kicking her.
She told reporters: "My left ear was bleeding and my eyes and back are bruised. I can't move my neck, and my head still hurts when touched."
Police report to "warn others"
After suffering the violent beating, Mary claims he took from her S$600 and 500 yuan (S$110).
Thereafter, he had a change of heart and allowed her to return to her country, even driving her to the airport.
Still bruised and battered, she called the police immediately after going through the immigration checkpoint. She was taken to the hospital for a medical examination.
Mary says she called the police as she hopes her case will serve as a warning to others not to be taken in so easily. When interviewed by Shin Min Daily, the spokesperson for the Police said they were still investigating the matter.
LINK:http://www.asiaone.com/print/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090209-120670.html
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