Questions related to whether or not it is in Vietnam’s best interests to decriminalize prostitution have been raised several times over the years, but more concrete suggestions were brought up at a conference in Hanoi on Wednesday.

The event was held to solicit contributions for revisions to the current regulations on the management of sex workers amidst criticisms that the current, 15-year-old regulations are out-of-date and ineffective.

Vietnam’s current ordinance on the prevention and suppression of prostitution took effect in 2003 and sought to ban both the solicitation and purchase of sex, including organized prostitution.

The law stipulates that offenders are subject to either administrative fines or criminal charges, depending on the severity of their violations.

These penalties, however, have done little to curb the country’s rampant prostitution, particularly in big cities and tourism hubs, prompting policymakers to discuss proposals aimed at legalizing sex work and creating zoned areas for adult-oriented businesses in special economic zones.

“Prostitution has become more and more sophisticated and difficult to track,” Tran Van Dat, a top official from the Ministry of Justice, said at the conference.

Dat said the 15-year-old ordinance has become obsolete given the role technology has played in the spread of prostitution, including the use of Internet media to advertise and solicit customers.

“And the penalties set by the ordinance are just toothless,” Dat added.

Nguyen Xuan Lap, head of the government agency charged with battling social evils under the social affairs ministry, said he is often told that a new management model is needed for Vietnam to better oversee sex work in the country.

“But how new is new?” he questioned. “And should we follow what many people have suggested, that prostitution must be considered a legal occupation?”

Lap said that streetwalking cannot be considered a job under Vietnam’s current legal definition for what constitutes an occupation.

“We must have a place where sex workers are trained and ‘taught’ if we want to recognize prostitution as a job, which is impossible,” he said. 

Photo illustration by Reuters

However, Lap admitted that relevant agencies are still collecting feedback on a plan to organize legal ‘red-light districts’ – zoned areas for sex-oriented businesses, in the country’s special administrative and economic zones.

Vietnam has plans to establish three such zones – Phu Quoc, Van Don and Van Phong – which will function as models for the Southeast Asian country on its quest to stimulate growth and lure foreign investment.

The Phu Quoc special administrative and economic zone will be developed on the namesake island off the southern province of Kien Giang, whereas the Van Don will be located in the northern province of Quang Ninh, and Van Phong in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa.

The idea was previously put forward by Phung Quoc Hien, deputy chairman of Vietnam’s lawmaking National Assembly, who believes that special administrative and economic zones must be allowed to host businesses that are outlawed elsewhere in Vietnam, such as casinos and red-light districts, in order to help the country reach its full potential.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Wednesday’s conference, another official from the justice ministry showed support for the idea of zoning red-light districts within the special economic zones.

“Some countries have organized such areas even though they have not technically legalized prostitution,” he said.

The official added that having a zoned area for sex workers makes it easier for regulators to oversee their activities.

Other attendees at Wednesday’s event said Vietnam should neither legalize prostitution nor consider it a job, but adopt a more flexible management model that ‘balances the interests’ of both sex workers and regulators.

The best solution, according to the Center of Supporting Community and Development Initiatives, is to stop considering prostitution a criminal offense, a view that was backed by representatives from the anti-social evil agencies of the cities of Hai Phong and Can Tho.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!