Parliamentarians in Papua New Guinea are studying the prostitution laws in the Australian state of Queensland to address their own concerns about a growing illegal sex industry.

A senior government minister says people who are paying for sex are increasing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Dame Carol Kidu says PNG needs tougher laws to address the attitudes of sex workers in the commercial sex industry.

"Prostitution is illegal in Papua New Guinea," she said.

"We have a generalised HIV/Aids epidemic now in PNG we have to look at the whole thing seriously.

"And perhaps the way the Queensland's code is approached could be a way for us here.

"But I think we have to deal with the reality that we are facing, and leaving prostitution on the streets illegal, we can more effectively regulate and make sure that medical requirements are in place."

Should we legalise prostitution??
Is this the answer?

I don't think so...

Pretty funny to see politicians going overseas to study Australian prostitution laws. I wander if PNG traditional belives if, we pratices strong customary laws that disallowed malpractices against individuals in communities, especially selling body. I think a politician instead look at some traditionals laws that may apply to protitution, For example, identify those women or men who sell their body for money in brothels should be made knowm to their place of origin. I don't know this will help but it will shame a family in the community..

What do you think..

Very complex.. "a"

Gaun

Wantok Gaun,
This is a sensitive topic and as you say, it strikes right into the root of our traditional way of life. However, times are changing and as a result society is also changing and along with that our social values. The thing is, despite PNG being a chrisitain country we have seen a steady increase in prostitution and sex offences committed by a cross section of the community. My personal view is that we should change our legislation in response to the changing social values. Furthermore, i think the Censorship Board is living in denial. Legalise prostitution and the sex industry, enact legislation to regulate it. There will be problems like any other industry but it will create employment for the workers and the medical profession too.The sex industry is a niche market and can be a very competitive industry and some workers create a niche market for themselves, its not like in the olden days where sex workers were dirty things in the back streets. i know in PNG this is the case thats why i say legislation against the black market and illegal operations is the way to go. Who knows, it will probably reduce rape and sex offences as people will know where to go and buy sex.
Em nau over to you other readers for your comment

My friend...you do this (legalise prostituton) and PNG will be destroyed...you think regulating a problem is the answer?..The problem remains...you busy yourself fighting the smoke when you should be fighting the fire...

So what if times are changing?...Are they good changes?
Yes people aredying at much faster rate...and our economy is being affected...but would this happen if we uphold Christian principles? No!

Legalising prostitution is no solution...yumi bai bagarapim yumi yet...moral values drop...woman become like sex objects...
yeah we may say so what!?...its already happening even if we don't like it?...but let me ask you...is that reason enough to support it...cause thats what we'll be doing if we legalise it...that be fooled thinking the sex industry can be regulated...(look at thailand)...

Legalise prostitution and we bring a curse on the country as a whole...we will be dstroyed!!

To anonymous, thank you for your reply. I do understand what you are saying and am of the same mine and thought as you are. But we all know that prostituion is on the rise and most of the churches have lost sight of their flock, some of the pros are also still christians and church goers. The issue goes beyond morale values na Lotu o samting olsem. Its to do with edcuation, health, emplyment or lack of it and so on, good governance etc, etc. And our politicians are too busy filling their own pockets, its been happening for 30 odd years, so where do we start? The pros are driven by a need to survive in this modern day PNG bai yu givim ol kaikai? The erosion of our traditional values in our society that has brought about this sorry life style is too deep now to be salvaged. I know we can try to combat this problem in our own local communities but you've got the main centres too, who is responsible for that? Or rather, who is willing to help avert the current trend? Hence my support for legalising it. I know its a band aid solution but its the best one we have at this point at this point in time, whats your solution? Some of the church pators are raping their own flock as we have heard of and seen in the papers, no wonder the flock is diminishing.
(ol preach lond said na kaikaim long narapla said) Em tingting blong mi tasol. I know you mean well, so lets have something solid we can take to our pollies to look at and do something about it.

Cheers
Sandman

Why do we face all this problems today?

It because the process has been Violated...
it used to be
God Speaks - Prophet/leader/Priest listens or intercepts and leads the people according to what has been said by God.

Today...when man has a problem...he runs to his Policy makers calls up a meeting and waste tim trying to come up with solutions with the absence of God.

You say this Goes beyond Religion...no wonder we're in alot of trouble...it should start with God. When man ignores the God who created him, this is like telling him...I don't need you.

Man's Wisdom is like Gods Foolishness.

I said earlier, we are fighting the smoke whilst the Fire Burns on. Every problem in any given society when traced back starts with the Human being. We have example of highly educated Papua New Guineans involved in crimes. One can have knowledge yet lack Wisdom...it is very possible. I am sure you will agree with me that the root of all the problem is the individuals that make up the society. The only solution I see is if we can have a institution/Syllabus that can mold, shape and build people. It should be built into the educations systems/institutions/work places/ at all levels of society. The place where mans thoughts are formed should be governed by set of Moral standards that are of the highest - Gods Standards...standards of excellence.

To build a country...We first Build The People...and the people will build the country

Is this a far fetched idea? No
But Satan has made us believe otherwise...thats why he called the deciever...

Change is possible...
its time for a Change in Paradigm mindset...

I am worried about this conversation.
YOu dont seem to realise that prostitutes are not different.

It is dangerous to support our community to believe in good woman and bad woman and good man and bad man. If you believe that then it is always someone else causing the trouble not your brother, your husband or your son.

The law has to change - but it has to change to protect the safety of prostitutes.

You might have forgotten about the friend of Jesus, Magdalene.

When we make it ok for some people to be abused and treated badly we make it ok for all of us to be treated like this.

I think in the end our we will be judged on how we treated the least fortunate amongst us.

Mary Magdeline was a prostitute...true..but when she met Jesus, she changed, she stopped being a prostitute...you see the law doesn't provide prostitutes a protective umbrella from which to operate under...

Human beings were not designed to live such low lives. It was never Gods intention for us to live such low lives...

So why the prositutes we have all around us today?...why all the poor people we have around us today? Light and Darkness don't exist together, Darkness needs to exist so we can define light. Darkness can be described as the absence of light and vise versa.
Light is not present when darkness rules.

If you have a relative or a friend indulging in prostitution...encourage them to quit the practice...like Mary Magdeline did....If meeting Christ could change her...then I am sure it could do the same for them today...

Its the only way out...look around you..everythings in Chaos..and you know what..it ain't gonna get any better..there is coming a time (in fact its already here...is just the beginning) that science will be useless...can you see the frequency and the intensity of disasters happening?

God destroyed Whole Cities because of Sexual immorality...God makes specific mentions of how he hates sexual immoralities.

Be careful...

Yes there is change in the world today...the world is moving on, but, is every change a good one?

The world could be going to Hell and we just tag along because everybody else is doing it...

or Should we raise the standards and practice what we clain we are...A Christian country.

We carry the name tag but thats about it. We say the church is doing all it can...I say the Church is still sleeping...The state of the country and the Government of the Ccountry is a reflection of the state of the Church within the country.

Everything that happens in Physical is a manifestation of what is happening in the Spiritual...

What is happening in the Spiritual Government is being reflected in the Physical Government.

Change is possible...Man just has to realign