Human-Trafficking in Singapore...please help us we don’t want to be prostitutes

Jocelyn: “I used to work in Japan as a dancer and we just dance. So when my friend told me I can be dancer in singapore, i come. But when we are here, me and my friend (she points at a friend ‘entertaining’ a customer at a nearby table) find out we must ‘landi landi’ (get physical) with customer and have to do ‘barfine’ (where a customer pays the pub anywhere between $150-$300 to take her out of the pub for a ‘night’). I have work permit for work here for a few months as dancer but I don’t want to work here like this, i want to go back Philippines, I don’t want to be prostitute...what will my mother say if she find out...For some girls it’s ok, but for me I don’t like.”

Sara (txt msg): They say they will nvr force us to do barfine but they sumtyms get angry. So whenever a customer comes, all i'm saying to kuya xxxxx is I hv period so I can be saved from the guy hu want to take me home.

Pinky (txt msg): We can work evn without barfine but when can we pay our debts (3000+ sgd) to them. So expensive. I think mayb aft few months i go back to phil without any mony. Tht's y i think mayb i no choice so i do barfine. But i rily don't want.

Rain (txt msg): “I’m still not doing the barfine thing. Just this morning we went back at the house at 7.30am. Our boss talk to the new ones. Becoz I never do barfine, he talk to me and ask me how i want to make money. I said just work except for the barfine thing. Really sir, I cannot do that I said.”

“You see we don’t have that big sales this past 10 days we stay here and he is blaming all the new ones. He ask us what is happening and why we don’t have customers. I said, 1st thing, we’re just new here, 2nd there is no one coming around the bar, 3rd I always encounter uneducated customers, all of them want to take me out but I refuse them. My boss get mad bcoz I never do barfine.”

Jocelyn (txt msg): "A lot of grils r complaining to this kind of work. Our permit is performing artist for 5 months not as a prostitute. All of us here wer like prisoner a clone without feelings.."


Niki (txt msg): My friend Janet she have a 4month old baby and she really want to go home so please help us(to take us to the philippines embassy) we don’t want to be prostitutes here bcoz we are not that kind of person...”


related articles:

Human-trafficking in Singapore...with work-permits
Human-Trafficking in Singapore...hitting the ‘quota’ - a txt msg story



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