A state-run publisher has been fined a total of US$11,861 for violations in two law books including one whose front cover features an almost-nude, smiling comedian standing on a ball of fire. The other has a heap of money depicted on its cover.

Vietnam law book cover features topless comedian on fire

The Publishing Department under the Ministry of Information and Communications has decided to fine the Labor and Social Affairs Publishing House VND128 million ($6,025) for its multiple violations regarding a book titled “Bo Luat Dan Su va Van Ban Huong Dan Thi Hanh 2014” (The Civil Code and Related Circulars 2014).

Another fine of VND124 million was also issued for violations in a different law book titled “Bo Luat Hinh Su va Cac Van Ban Huong Dan Thi Hanh 2014” (The Criminal Code and its Related Circulars 2014).

In the first book, the publisher’s violations include defaming the authorities in charge of compiling and issuing the Civil Code and its related circulars, and offending an individual by featuring his photo on the book’s front without his consent.

Another infringement is the publisher’s provision of wrong information regarding the issue date of the Civil Code and its related circulars, according to the department.

As previously reported, 1,000 copies of the book were released in July this year by the publisher, which belongs to the Ministry of Labor, Invalid, and Social Affairs.

Its front cover features an almost-naked, brawny male body, but the face is that of Cong Ly, a popular comedian in Hanoi.

The name “Cong Ly” in Vietnamese means “justice”.

The person is pictured standing on a fire ball holding two scales, a global symbol of justice.

Ly’s face, which wears a beaming smile, is clumsily attached to the man’s body using Photoshop.

The Photoshopped picture was posted by an account holder nicknamed Rainy Warrior on Vietdesigner, a local forum, two years ago.

The photo creator, whose real name is N. V. L., said he created it in November, 2012 just for fun.

Meanwhile, lawyer Nguyen Van Hau, deputy chair of the HCMC Lawyer Association, pointed out that the book’s creator also made an intolerably serious blunder in the book’s title.

“The Civil Code is currently under discussion by the National Assembly and has yet to be passed, so there’s no such thing as the 2014 Civil Code, as the book’s title indicated. The book is only about the Civil Code in 2005 and its related circulars that were adopted in 2006 and 2011,” he noted.

The Publishing Department on Monday requested the publication of the book be suspended, and all culture departments nationwide closely monitor the recall of the book’s remaining copies.

Nguyen Hoang Cam, director of the Labor and Social Affairs Publishing House, said earlier in a Monday interview with Tuoi Tre that the photo on the cover was the idea of Lao Dong (Labor) Bookstore, the publisher’s partner in releasing the book. Cam added the partner released the book in July this year without the publisher’s final approval, but shortly after the release the publisher detected the blunder and requested the partner suspend the publication and recall all copies immediately.

Cam added his publisher is speeding up the recall.

Second book

The second book, titled “Bo Luat Hinh Su va Cac Van Ban Huong Dan Thi Hanh 2014” (The Criminal Code and its Related Circulars 2014), was also released by the publisher earlier this year.

One of the blunders in this second book also lies in its front cover which features a scale of justice, with a clock put in one pan and a heap of money notes in another.

The publisher is to pay its fine within 10 days of receipt of the decision, according to Chu Van Hoa, head of the Publishing Department. 

Hoa added the publisher’s penalty is quite a harsh one, as it’s part of the department’s attempts to take drastic measures in improving publication activities.

The department will also look closely into the accountability of the individuals involved in these blunders and will stop issuing them editor certificates, he noted.