Working girl arrests might liberate flats

Last Thursday, city newspapers published front page photos about Chaoyang police raiding four nightclubs for prostitutes, including Heaven Earth nightclub. More than 500 people, allegedly engaged in prostitution, were detained and the four nightclubs were ordered to suspend business for six months. Police said they would not tolerate entertainment venues that organize and facilitate prostitution.

Since the municipal bureau of public security initiated a crackdown on prostitution on April 1, Chaoyang police have raided more than 400 KTV halls, bathhouses, unlicensed salons and foot massage centers in the district. They announced prostitution in the area has dropped by 30 percent compared with the same period last year.

There are no precise statistics on exactly how many women are engaged in prostitution in Beijing. In one night's raid, 557 women were arrested at four nightclubs in Chaoyang district. Insiders said the total number of prostitutes employed at the four clubs should be more than 800, but some might have escaped or were not working that night. Regardless, with more than 400 KTV halls in the capital, I estimate the number of prostitutes is estimated to be about 100,000.