Sallie Yea - Paved with Good Intentions?: Human Trafficking and the Anti-trafficking Movement in Singapore

This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore

This book has been the result of the synthesis of a number of studies carried out over no less than five years. This includes a study of migrant women in Singapores sex and nightlife entertainment industry, a study of migrant fishers trafficked through Singapore, and a study of male migrant workers in the construction, shipyard, and landscaping sectors in Singapore. Researching the book meant traversing a wide range of sites and sectors. In addition to research conducted in Singapore, the research took me to Cambodia, the Philippines , Indonesias Batam Island, and Bangladesh.

There were many people involved along the way, individuals and organisations that provided important contextual and background information, introductions and access to participants, and assistance with referrals and supports for some participants. Foremost I am grateful to four individuals, without whose assistance I believe I could not have completed the research. Sister Mary Soh provided introductions to many women and girls in the Singapore sex and entertainment sector, as well as providing some financial support for that study. Neal Imperial, a diplomat formally of the Philippines Embassy in Singapore, also provided introductions to many participantsboth migrant entertainers and migrant fishersincluding contacting trafficked fishers once they return to the Philippines to facilitate interviews there. Debbie Fordyce allowed me to talk to men from Tamil Nadu in India and from Bangladesh who availed supports through TWC2s free meal programme in Little India and allowed me to interview men there. Debbie also tirelessly explained to me the nuances and complexities of labour and injury claims for work permit holders in Singapore, including her experience of assisting men with these. Sumsul (full name withheld) not only translated for other Bangladeshi participants, but also, like Debbie, carefully unpacked and explained the interactions his compatriots had with the Singapore government and other agencies , including their companies. I am extremely grateful to all of them and thank them for their enormous contributions to my research.

Other individuals were involved in various ways in the realisation of this book. Stephanie Chok read drafts of several papers that eventually made their way into the manuscript as chapters, including as co-author on one such chapter. Stephii is meticulous when it comes to accurately pinning down rules and regulations of MOM , MOH, and other organisations and in sending along papers that she felt would be useful for my research. Balambigai Balakrishnan was an incredible research assistant with the Tamil participants in the study. John Gee, Shelley Thio, and Noor Abdul Rahman were involved in providing information about various migrant worker issues in Singapore, and the organisation they representedthe NGO TWC2 provided funding to support the research project with the migrant fishers. Vanessa Ho and Nicolas Lainez provided important insights into the situations of sex workers in Singapore and correctives to the overly simplistic narratives of sexual slavery that often circulate around this group of women.

My husband Ariel was an incredible source of support throughout the entire period in which the research was conducted and the writing continued. He also assisted with translations for many of the interviews with Filipino participants. I am ever grateful for all the supports he provides in my scholarly endeavours.

Acknowledging here the women and men who participated in the research projects that inform discussion in this book can never suffice to thank them for their incredible trust in disclosing situations which are not only difficult to imagine, but incredibly challenging to discuss with someone who is a relative stranger. I am ever grateful to them, and it is my hope that this book, in some small way, will enable those charged with protecting and supporting trafficked persons in Singapore and elsewhere to reflect on howand indeed whetheranti-trafficking can possibly be less remote from their experiences and lives.