Open Letter to Mr. Chen, Shui-Bian, Mayor of Taipei
Asia/Pacific Sex Workers Network

We, the delegates to the Asian-Pacific Sex Workers' Network meeting in Manila, have learned about the plight of the 128 licensed sex-workers of Taipei whose right to work has been forcefully removed by the Taipei city government in the latter's recent ban on legal sex work. We hereby call on the Mayor of Taipei to:

Recognize that sex work is an occupation and that the recent abolishment of licensed sex workers in Taipei is a gross violation of the rights of our sisters in the sex trade.

Take all necessary measures to restore those abolished sex workers' right to work.

Acknowledge that sex workers are female, transgender and male, and that it is the unsafe conditions at work, rather than sex work itself, that causes risk of HIV infection and sexually transmissible diseases.

Ensure sex workers can participate at international and regional conferences on AIDS by protecting sex workers' rights to travel.

Provide education for sex workers, by sex workers, of their rights under existing laws in case of discrimination, harassment, arrest, rape, assault and all other forms of abuse by government authorities, including law enforcement agencies.

Provide legal assistance, unconditionally, for sex workers who experience any of the above violations by anyone, including the authorities.

Support the ongoing need to train and educate clients and sex workers in the Asia Pacific region to negotiate safe sex.

Ensure sex workers have safe and confidential access to safer sex products, health care and medication in their country of work, equal to workers in other occupations, irrespective of their legal status.