Research Report no. 3 – October 2011 – p.28
Alliance Anti-Trafic
shows gratitude” (con co hiêu). Through a discursive ploy, migration to Singapore – where the declared objective is to repay debts and assist the parents or relatives – loses its social and moral condemnation and becomes an expression of selfless gratitude towards the family. In addition to family debts, four informants claimed to have come to Singapore to repay personal debts incurred in Vietnam. As Lan’s story illustrates, both parental and personal debts intertwine in some cases, as well as formal and informal credit loans. Entertainers can recommence migration for commercial sex purposes several times for different reasons. For instance, the same woman may come to Singapore to repay her parents’ loan, come another time to repay a personal loan, then again to pay off her parent’s new loan, then one more time to earn income to invest in a business. Lan’s case illustrates this pattern. The remittances and debt narrative, however, should not disguise the fact that migrant entertainers do keep a substantial share of their earnings for themselves, in order to cover their travel and living expenses, both in Singapore as well as in Vietnam upon return. Indeed, migrant entertainers need a substantial sum of money to pay for their travel expenses, as well as for the cost of living in Singapore (discussed in the next section and chapter). In summary, the migrant entertainers who are less experienced, or unlucky in attracting clients, or who are arrested and deported before the end of their 30-day stay, often bring little money back home, at times not even enough to cover the initial investment for transportation and to repay debts. This encourages them to return to Singapore and try again. Cash needed to invest in Vietnam Migration to Singapore for prostitution is a strategy for some migrant entertainers whose goal is to fund a personal business venture. The image of Singapore as El Dorado certainly played into the decision of two informants, whose migration was motivated by a desire to generate revenue that would be invested in Vietnam. The first, aged 33, is from HCMC. She separated from her husband in 2007 and became solely responsible for their child. She worked for several years as a cook in a downtown restaurant until it closed. She then sold curtains and wallpaper in a small business in which she wished to invest. Before coming to Singapore, she began a relationship with a British man, aged 57, who was separated with two children. Dissatisfied with this relationship, she decided to come to Singapore for a change of scenery and to earn capital to invest in the company. The second case is that of a singer called Nga, 20-years-old, from Tây Ninh province bordering Cambodia. This pretty, young woman came to Singapore with the intention to generate income to finance her musical career. She wanted to use a production company that would launch her first album and would promote it in the local market, presenting her as a supporting act for established artists. The price of this service was exorbitant: VND 500 million or US$ 24 319! She thought she could earn a lot of money quickly in Singapore, but she soon realized that she was unable to tolerate the bars, sex with strangers, and life with peers in the boarding house. In the end, she remained in Singapore until the end of her 30-day Social Visit Pass, providing services to three clients during that time, and left disappointed, admitting though that prostitution is one of the few options available to finance her professional music career. More anonymity in Singapore than in Vietnam “I did not want to work in Vietnam because I have family and friends over there. If somebody recognized me, my reputation and that of my family would be ruined,” said an entertainer from the boarding house. Usually, entertainers prefer to work away from home to avoid being recognized by friends or relatives. They fear unfortunate encounters that could critically tarnish their reputation. This is why they often move to another province to work and hide their occupation from their relatives and friends. The question was not posed consistently