Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini's plan to close down Southeast Asia's largest red-light district, popularly known as Dolly, has been opposed by Deputy Mayor Wisnu Sakti Buana and the Surabaya Regional Legislative Council (DPRD)
urabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini's plan to close down Southeast Asia's largest red-light district, popularly known as Dolly, has been opposed by Deputy Mayor Wisnu Sakti Buana and the Surabaya Regional Legislative Council (DPRD).
"The city government should not just close down Dolly because a lot of people rely upon it. Up until now, the city administration has only been talking to sex workers and their pimps, while ignoring the local people," Wisnu told journalists on Wednesday.
Wisnu added that Tri Rismaharini, affectionately known as Risma, had not involved him in the decision-making process, even though he had received a number of complaints from the general public about the planned closure.
According to the Surabaya Social Agency, 1,020 sex workers operate in the Dolly district, alongside 311 pimps and 400 local people.
Blegur Prijanggono, a Golkar lawmaker at the Surabaya DPRD, said the planned closure of the red-light district could encourage illegal entertainment sites and the government would be unable to control the spread of HIV/AIDS.
However, Risma was adamant about closing down the Dolly area, saying that the plan had been in place for the past four years, so the closure should not come as a surprise to anyone.
"Dolly's closure will break the chain of prostitution in Surabaya, and human trafficking cases involving minors can be eradicated," she said.(fss)
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