Our reporters grope in the dark to expose a secret. Stories on p2 & 3

(Accompanied by a hazy picture of men hanging round the Jalan Sultan bus-stop at night)

The whole package of 8 stories begins on page 2 and spills over to occupy all of page 3. It carries a strap that reads: 'Homosexuals Fooling Around'

Page 2 Story:

The gay story is the page lead and occupies a quarter of the page with a picture of the bus-stop on Jalan Sultan by the cemetery in broad daylight.

Reports by Yang Xunli and Liu Liqin
Pictures by Xie Huashan and Lai Nanda

A cemetery has become a paradise for male homosexuals indulging their pleasure and relieving their lust.

A cemetery in the Jalan Sultan area has become a pleasure-seeking destination for male homosexuals in the past two years.

These homosexual men have absolutely no regard for a cemetery as a place for people to remember the dead and instead treat it as a location for them to pursue their libidinal urges.

About the size of half a football field, this cemetery with its many big trees and thick undergrowth is not lit by street lights. In the evening, it becomes more forbidding and menacing.

A Mr Tan, 40 years old, an eyewitness of what gay men got up to at this place told our reporters of the frightening things he has seen: "I saw 10 or more men among the trees, here and there in various nooks and crannies, pairing up for sex. They behave in the most brazen way with no sense of restraint and as if nobody was around. Some were masturbating each other; some giving blow jobs and some were even arse-fucking."

Mr Tan who has worked in the neighbourhood for some 20 years said that he only started to notice this motley crowd of men going in and out of the cemetery in the past two years.

"It is a cemetery with only trees and undergrowth. Why are these people going there?"

His curiosity aroused, Mr Tan decided to find out for himself by visiting the place on a Wednesday night at around 9 pm sometime last month.

"I watched the goings-on for 15 minutes and could not bring myself to watch anymore. So I left quickly."

Our reporters paid a visit the night before last and stayed there for about two hours.

From around 9 to 11 pm, our reporters saw more than 20 men making their way into the darkness of the bushes.

Some men went in for about half an hour before emerging to wander around the place and then went into the bushes again.

Later the reporters and photographers went into the bushes and saw for themselves men in twos and threes being intimate with each other.

Residents in the area also said they have often seen these men going into the bushes.

Page 3 Stories:

This page carries a photo of a corner of the cemetery with a big tree and garbage strewn round it. Two insets show respectively an empty condom package and a soiled pair of white briefs on the ground. A caption says: The big tree is believed to be the most popular corner of the cemetery and beneath the tree are tens of condom packages and a pair of white briefs.

- Quite a few are even "Regular Clients"

A clear majority of the homosexual men fooling around in the bushes are foreign workers. Among them are some who come here frequently and are the "regular clients" of this place.

Mr Tan said that when he waited for the bus every evening, he noticed that a great many of the men going among the trees were foreign workers.

From his observation, about 60 per cent of the men going into the bushes to fool around have dark complexion.

Mr Tan said that apart from foreign workers, he believed the others to be blue-collar workers.

"In two years, I notice that among those going into the bushes were some familiar faces; these familiar faces come frequently. I believe these 'regular clients' come here often to seek pleasure."

The homosexual men carry on fooling around as if there is nobody around. It is as if they are putting up a show and do not mind others looking at them.

Mr Tan said when he went into the bushes, he saw that there were no tents or any other form of shelter that could provide some cover.

"There they were in their pairs, hiding beneath the big tree or among the undergrowth, carrying out hand jobs, blow jobs and such acts."

He said that these male homosexuals were all rather bold in what they were doing. At the height of their passion, they totally ignored the people watching them. They just carried on with what they were doing.

"On that occasion when I was there, my unfamiliar face did not cause the male homosexuals any consternation. They just went on as if they were doing the most natural thing in the world. It was as if I did not exist."

The male homosexuals usually go into the bushes singly. After making eye contact with a suitable other half, they then go looking for a suitable place to have their fun.

Our reporters checked out the scene on the night before yesterday. They observed that the homosexual men went singly into the bushes and usually carried a bottle of mineral water with them. According to insiders, the bottle of water is not meant for drinking but for cleaning up after they have had their fling.

Alternatively, some were carrying small paperbags but what is inside the bag is a mystery.

From what is known, the men go in alone to look for a partner. When they find somebody suitable, they chat him up. If both feel a mutual attraction, they then look for an appropriate place to "do their thing".

Many homosexual men come out of the bushes after fooling around. Then in front of everybody, they undo their fly to take a pee before leaving.

Our reporters saw for themselves how some of these people relieve themselves before going into the bushes to look for their target.

According to people who are familiar with the neighbourhood, that place was already a popular haunt for homosexual men going some years back. But after concerted police action, the activities stopped only to be revived again.

Beneath the trees in the cemetery were newspapers spread out as well as underwear, shoes and used condom packaging.

Yesterday morning, our reporters paid a second visit and found a small building in the cemetery. Empty bottles lay discarded on the floor, believed to be left behind by the male homosexuals after they have done their thing and cleaned themselves.

At the back of the building is a banyan tree and underneath the tree, a table. On the ground were used condom packages of different brands. Our reporters also saw a pair of white underwear and a leather shoe. Some believe these were left behind by gay men who could not find the articles in the dark after the passion of making out.

Beneath the trees were also sheets of newspapers spread out neatly in a row.

A middle-age man who never says no to anybody is frequently at this place providing free sex.

According to Mr Tan, a man who looks about half a century old and is very skinny is often there.

"This man always comes alone. He is different from the others. The others usually look around for somebody suitable but this man never says no to anybody. It is like he is providing free sex service.

He said that this middle-age man was always happy to do it with anybody who wanted it, regardless of age or race.

Story 7: Police confirm receipt of public complaint

The police confirm that they have received recent public complaints about the goings-on in the cemetery. The police say they have stepped up patrolling.

Our reporters told the police what they saw in the cemetery and a police spokesman confirmed that they have received complaints about people loitering in the vicinity of the cemetery.

"The police have stepped up patrolling and also surveillance of the situation in that place."

According to Mr Tan he has seen on many occasions police patrol cars in the vicinity. He believes the police are already investigating.