Getting into the Swing of things

SERVICE WORKERS in Group (Swing) - a non-profit organisation set up five years ago by Surang Janyaem, has become a second home for many young and middle-aged workers in Bangkok's red-light districts. The Kanchanaburi-native worked as a volunteer for the sex-worker group Empower for 20 years before deciding to head Swing, a support group which offers among other things education, counselling and mentoring for its members.

The petite 44-year-old - who earlier this month was recognised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for protecting the rights of sex workers - both male and female - and promoting a better understanding of the industry - is quick to correct people in the right term used for people in the sex business: "Please call them sex workers, not prostitutes, for me it's a better word to use to describe their profession."

She explained how Swing started: "There were no proper support group for male sex workers, so together with a group of like-minded people, we began Swing," said Ms Surang. "Since graduating from university I have campaigned hard to get all male and female sex workers treated as people and with fairness. I want Swing to be a second home for them. I am like their big sister, and they are like my own family. When they hurt, I hurt. If they happen to carry the HIV virus, and don't know who to turn to, they often come to me. When they contact an STD, Swing members take them to the hospital."

From personal experience she has found them to be smart and sincere friends. Ms Surang's team, which comprises people who have worked in the sex industry - assist members of the group in every area in their lives.

Ms Surang suggests that if the government would like to seriously eradicate sex work and help public health efforts prevent HIV among sex workers, they should invite sex workers for a round table discussion and ask them what should be done to address this issue. Offering them options that they haven't been consulted on is not treating them fairly. She says there is no official record of the number of men working in the red light district, and the numbers have increased since she first began working with them.

"Fifteen years ago, there were approximately 500 to 600, but today in could be in the thousands. Mutual respect is, however, needed to address the problems facing today's sex worker. Don't look down at them - aside from offering them opportunities - accept it if they decide to continue in this work. But I am confident if they are given the chances that are offered to people from other walks of life, they will certainly opt for a better future than the one they are currently in."

Ms Surang said sex worker organisations in Thailand have always faced an uphill battle in their dealings with law enforcement, who often hold sex workers in contempt. In the past, she admits they took a largely confrontational approach, which often served to aggravate tension between both sides. She came up with an innovative strategy for solving this predicament by deciding that they work together with law enforcement to change bias attitudes towards sex workers, and that this would eventually bring about sustainable change in attitude and behavior. With this concept in mind, she initiated the Police Cadet Community Involvement Programme, a project in which third-year police cadets undergo a first-hand study of the sex industry for three weeks. The programme is held in August, when Swing picks between six and nine cadets for the internship.

"Adults are already set in their ways, so that is why I choose incoming police officers, who are both young, open to our awareness-raising efforts and more likely to change the mindset of the police force in the future. The goal of this programme is to increase the cadets' understanding of the different social issues connected with sex workers and grassroots efforts to address them."

Ms Surang takes great pains during the time that the cadets are with them to make certain they really understand the complicated issues faced by sex workers.

To give them hands-on experience, each staff member is assigned to mentor a cadet. One staff member per cadet offers each young man a thorough orientation, and a debriefing session is held each evening where each person reflects on what they learned that day. During the internship, cadets help promote condom use among male sex workers, give English and Thai lessons at Swing's drop-in centre, and assist in games, workshops and outreach events. At the conclusion of the internship, she said the cadets are expected to deliver a presentation on their experience to all 1,200 students in the police academy. Ms Surang is confident Swing's efforts will one day bear fruit.