People's Daily criticizes sympathy toward prostitution

Criticism of China's recent crackdown on prostitution is a "blasphemy against civilization," a critique carried by Friday's People's Daily said, as sympathetic voices grow louder in support of sex workers.

Some believe prostitution is based on "market demand" and is "beneficial," and there have even been calls for sex work to be legalized in the wake of police raids in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan late last week.

However, the article carried by the daily, flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China, described these people as "selectively blind."

"Yes, there are market demands for prostitution. What about gambling and drugs?" asked the commentary, bylined Zhong Xinwen.

Chinese society is obviously embracing different modes of thought and values, along with diversity of interests after more than 30 years of reform and opening up, which is a demonstration of social progress, according to Zhong.

But liberation of thought does not equal licentiousness and diversity of values does not equal distortion or degeneration of values, the article said.

There must be a bottom line for any kind of diversified thinking or interests. People must insist on some basic consensus and universal values, wrote Zhong.

The article asserted that prostitution unquestionably crosses the moral line of personal freedom and is bound to involve social corruption, human trafficking and the mafia, adding that intervention of public power in the business is an international practice.

It blamed sympathy for prostitutes on the contemporary trend for people to hold rebellious attitudes, thinking, "I must oppose whatever you favor." Such commentators seemingly believe they can not catch people's attention and prove their "independence" or "wisdom" if their voices do not oppose the mainstream, it said.

On the other hand, the article praised people deviating from rebellious attitudes and agreeing that prostitution is a "poisonous industry" and that "good social order and ethics" should be safeguarded.

The rise of righteous voices reflects the mainstream values of modern China and provides powerful impetus for the progress of civilization, it said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 920 suspects had been apprehended in Dongguan and the rest of south China's Guangdong Province in the crackdown on the illegal sex trade.