Vietnam clamps down on prostitution

Vietnam fears Ho Chi Minh City could become another Bangkok

By Vietnam correspondent Owen Bennett-Jones

The Vietnamese authorities have released figures showing that since 1994 the police have arrested more than 40,000 brothel owners.

Prostitution has grown rapidly in Ho Chi Minh City

The Prime Minister, Phan Van Khai, has outlined an action programme aimed to reduce prostitution levels over the next five years.

Since Vietnam opened up its economy ten years ago, an increasing number of prostitutes have started working, especially in Ho Chi Minh City.

Over the last six years 11,000 brothels have been shut down, according to government figures.

And in Ho Chi Minh City nearly 1,000 prostitutes were sent to re-education camps during the year 2000.

Officials say this refers to attempts to give sex workers training so that they can find different forms of employment.

Another Bangkok

The government has repeatedly expressed its concern about prostitution but so far has been unable to prevent the growth of the sex industry.

Vietnam's Communist Party considers prostitution a social evil

There are fears that Ho Chi Minh City could become the next Bangkok, attracting foreign sex tourists.

The new government programme is going to focus on reducing prostitution levels at tourist sites.

It's hoped it will also persuade young people, especially students, not to become prostitutes.

Clients

The government then plans to concentrate its education programmes on the prostitutes' customers, especially those who are employees of state companies.

The spread of Aids is largely blamed on drug users in Vietnam

It is concerned not only because prostitution is considered to be a social evil in Vietnam, but also because of the threat of Aids.

The United Nations has estimated that over the next five years 200,000 Vietnamese people will be diagnosed with HIV.

As things stand, most Aids sufferers in Vietnam are intravenous drug users but sex workers also face a high chance of contracting the illness.