The Hanoi department of culture is nowhere ready to issue a code of conduct for local residents despite a huge amount of time it has spent on researching dozens of thousands of pages of documents, its deputy director has admitted.

“It is such a very important task that we are not allowed to make any hasty move, and every phase must be carefully and scientifically conducted,” Nguyen Khac Loi told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in an interview published Thursday.

The inappropriate behavior and culture of Hanoi residents have become an issue “more urgent than ever,” according to a sociological survey recently done by the city’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

The department has thus decided that a code of conduct that every resident of the Vietnamese capital city should follow is the best way to settle the issue, Loi said.

An increasing number of residents in Hanoi, known as the “capital of thousands of years of civilization,” are willing to display their ugly behaviors, and the under-research code of conduct is expected to correct such behaviors, the official added.

“We have perused more than 50,000 pages of documents in the form of books and doctorate theses, and read more than 100 newspaper and magazine articles, as well as legal documents, but that’s not enough,” Loi said.

“We are still researching and pooling feedback from members of the public, local organizations and agencies.”

The code of conduct meant for the entire public is expected to be issued within this year, according to the official.

Such a set of rules will serve as guidance for people to behave properly, without imposing any punishment or penalty, Loi said.

A number of cases in which foul-mouthed youngsters, students and celebrities were caught using vulgar language in public have been reported by the media recently, prompting the Hanoi administration to task many agencies with working out measures to reduce foul language.

But Loi said bad behavior does not include only swearing.

“There are many other inappropriate behaviors, such as dirtying walls or public constructions and jumping the queue,” he said.

Loi added that the culture department alone cannot completely solve the problem.

“It’s about raising public awareness and educating people, which is not merely the responsibility of a certain department or sector,” he said.

“The whole society must join hands in fixing this.”

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