Second woman gives evidence of prostitution [1]
Friday, January 14, 2011 - 11:34. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
HONG Yu Yang (31), a second victim in a case involving the suspecting trafficking of persons into Tonga for prostitution told the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court yesterday, January 13, that the accused Liu Lirong operated a prostitution service.
On the third day of the trial Hong told the court she first knew Liu in China in 2003 when they both worked in a restaurant.
She said Liu returned to China in 2008 to find her and when they met she told her about her businesses that included a restaurant and karaoke bar in Tonga.
"I did not believe her at first but the more we talked about it I was finally convinced so I decided to come to Tonga and take up the waitress job," the witness said.
Hong paid Liu around $40,000 Yuan for her visa and airfare expenses to Tonga. Liu told her they would change the visitor's visa to a work permit when they arrived in Tonga.
Nuku'alofa
Hong, a married woman with one child in China, said she arrived with Liu in Tonga in June 2009. They first rented a room at a motel situated on the Nuku'alofa waterfront before moving to the Phoenix Hotel on the second day.
She could not recall whether it was the second or third day upon arriving in Tonga that Liu started contacting men over the phone while they were living at the Phoenix.
Hong said Liu told her that they had no money to pay for the room and food so she must sleep with the men to get some money.
She asked Liu about the waitress job she had told her about in China and Liu told her that job was awaiting her shop at Tofoa.
Hong told the court she did not agree to become a prostitute but she had nowhere to go and she did not know anybody and she also did not have her passport because Liu had taken it when they left China.
"It was my first time to Tonga, everything was new and I didn't know anyone and I was scared. I had no other choice but to do what Liu told me to do," the witness said.
Hong said the first time she had sex with a man was at Angela's Motel in central Nuku'alofa. She said as she was getting ready to go to Angela's Motel another client rang and asked Liu for sex and Liu told her there was a second man.
She said she had sex with the two men that night and the money was paid to Liu.
Hong said they stayed at Phoenix for 18 days before moving to an apartment at Halaleva with Liu where they stayed with a Chinese man Yang Jun before the first victim Chun Juan Du moved in. Hong and Chun then shared a bedroom in the two-bedroom house.
Agreement
Hong said when living at Halaleva she had sex with many men, the most were three men per day and the payment went to Liu.
She said at the Phoenix she received no money, but when they moved to Halaleva she got some money and referred that she then had an agreement with Liu.
She explained if the client paid $100 to have sex with her she would get $60 while Liu got the remaining $40 and if he paid $200 she would get $120 and Liu got $80.
"Did you agree to this kind of work?" asked the prosecutor.
Hong replied, no because she was told in China that she would work as a waitress but not to have sex with men.
She said she didn't like it because Liu was using her flesh to get money and it broke her heart.
"I came to be a waitress. I did not come to sell my flesh," the witness said.
Objected
She confirmed to the court Chun's evidence that she objected to Liu's proposal to the prostitution because that was not the job she came to Tonga for.
Hong said she heard Liu tell Chun that she didn't care because they were in Tonga and they were eating from her and staying at her house.
She confirmed that Liu had said many times that if they weren't going to do what she said she would throw them into the ocean.
"I was very scared," she said.
Passport
The witness said the moment that Chun got her passport from Liu she left the Halaleva apartment because she didnt want to continue having sex with the men, but Hong stayed on because she didnt have her passport.
The witness said she had asked Liu up to five times to return her passport but she said it was with the Immigration, so she finally left Liu without her passport. Her passport was later returned to her by another Chinese person.
The prosecutor produced Hong's passport in court in which she confirmed to be hers. She currently has a valid work permit until June 30, 2011.
Arrangement
She was then asked where the prostitution took place at the apartment at Halaleva? She said the prostitution was indeed carried out at the apartment at Halaleva and sometimes the male customers came and picked them up.
She also said Liu made all the arrangements with the customers.
Justice Shuster then asked Hong, if she made any phone calls to men to come and have sex with her? She told him no.
The judge asked her whether she had a mobile phone, and she said yes.
The witness continued to give evidence as the trial continues tomorrow, January 14.