1531
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No. 295-1T.-20, dated Rangoon, the 13th July 1894.
From The Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, Burma, Municipal Department, To-The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
IN continuation of this office letter No. 264-1T.-20, dated the 11th April 1894, I am directed to report that the Deputy Commissioners of the districts which include the towns of Rangoon, Moulmein, Akyab, Bassein, Mergui, Prome, Mandalay, Bhamo, and Yandoon (Nyaungdun) have been consulted and have reported that Chinese women are not kidnapped for prostitution in Burma, and that complaints about "brothel slavery" have not been received. A copy of * No. 13-4T-34, dated the the report* of the Deputy Commissioner, Rangoon,
Town, is submitted.
30th April 1894-
C. O.
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No. 12-4T.-34, dated the 30th April 1894.
From The Deputy Commissioner, Rangoon Town District, To-The Commissioner, Pegu Division.
With reference to your endorsement, General Department, No. 283-30-M., dated the 14th instant, I have the honour to report that there is no reason to believe that kidnapping of Chinese women, or women of other nationalities, for immoral purposes or keeping of them in brothels by the methods mentioned in the Secretary to the Chief Commissioner's letter is prevalent among the Chinese population in Rangoon. It seems that nearly all the Chinese prostitutes in Rangoon are prostitutes from Penang or Singapore, who come to Rangoon by the British India Steam Navigation Company's boats and return after staying here for a time. In the Straits they are said to require a pass from the Chinese Consul before being allowed to practise prostitution. Steamers seldom come here direct from China, and no instances have yet come to notice in which women have been brought to Rangoon direct against their wish.
2. It would appear that in Rangoon there is no necessity to keep women in brothels by force or fraud. The brothel-keepers provide board and lodging and receive in return half of what the women earn by prostitution. The estab- lishments, which contain about a dozen women each, are reserved for Chinamen only, and the women seem perfectly contented and not unfrequently marry, their calling being no special bar to matrimony. In some cases mothers reside with their daughters in brothels with a view to selling them to the highest bidders whose wives they would become.
3. From the regular and business-like way that these establishments are conducted, it does not seem that it would pay to use coercion to obtain women. I understand that while there were no Chinese brothels in Rangoon about ten years ago, there are now five, and they are said to be becoming more numerous with the increase of trade in Rangoon and decline of it in Penang.
4. No complaints have been made by the Chinese community in Rangoon about the non-regulation of brothels. When brothels were first started, the Cantonese sect petitioned the then District Magistrate to put a stop to Chinese prostitutes coming over to Rangoon, but no dissatisfaction appears to exist now, and on the contrary the establishments seem to be becoming more popular.
TONYED
PIA OF
3 SER 94
G. C. Press, Simla.-No, (81 H. D.---8-8-94,17,
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