Chinese Association speaks out against prostitution ring
Matthew Quan told Radio Australia’s Evan Wasuka in an interview they are against the illegal activities.
The Solomon Islands Chinese Association, SICA, has spoken out against the Asian prostitution ring reportedly thriving in Honiara.
Investigative documents obtained by SIBC News indicated a number of locations where the Asians involved were practicing these illegal activities in Honiara, one of which was operating under disguise as a massaging centre.
Prostitution-related activities such as soliciting and brothel keeping are prohibited under the country’s laws.
But clarifying their position on this issue President of the Chinese Association, Matthew Quan told Radio Australia’s Evan Wasuka in an interview they are against it.
“We certainly are against what’s happening. It’s been happening for some time now, we have approached the various authorities regarding immigration especially immigration to do with the allowance of these people to come into the Solomon Islands itself,” he said .
“We know what they’re up to, we’ve found out, we’ve seen it, it’s been mentioned to us, all we can do is to advise the authorities to be more vigilant in the way they screen the applicants who come in. Obviously most of these people would come in as visitors, not as workers because they would obviously need the necessary paperwork for labour, but they would come in as visitors and they would conduct their business with the people here and like I said we’re certainly against what’s happening”.
He said they had also advised the Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea of the situation saying, they were now concerned about its further escalation.
“We’ve also advised the Chinese Embassy in PNG as well to inform them of what’s happening. Now our concern is that this will lead to other possible problems associated obviously with the Chinese community but also we don’t want to see the influx of possible further development or escalation of any underworld activities that might happen herein the Solomon Islands”.
SIBC News is aware immigration authorities in the country are ill-informed about this issue saying, they lack the capacity to investigate and monitor the visitor permits being issued to these Asians.
By: Rickson Bau.