VietNamNet Bridge - According to Mr. Nguyen Kim Hung, Head of the Social Evils Prevention Bureau, under the Hanoi Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, this is a policy of humanity, but it also makes for public concern.

All sex workers in HCM City to be released

The number of prostitutes being managed at reformatory centers in Hanoi is great. When the law takes effect, how will Hanoi proceed?

Currently, the Center for Treatment, Social Labor Education (in Ba Vi, Hanoi) manages 208 prostitutes, including 165 prostitutes who were seized several times and have to stay at the center for 18 months, 40 prostitutes who had to stay in the center for 12 months and only three who was seized for the first time and have to stay at the center for 9 months.

There are many issues that need to be carefully calculated: should all 208 prostitutes be released at once or be released in groups, in several times? After they are released, how to manage them so that they will not return to the old path? ...

The Division for Prevention of Social Evils has asked for the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs’ instruction on releasing prostitutes.

A lot of prostitutes are infected with sexually transmitted diseases. If they return to society without management, it will be very dangerous because they will easily to return to their old job and transmit diseases to others?

This is exactly what we are most worried about. Of the 208 prostitutes who are educated at reformatory centers in Hanoi, 142 people suffering from sexually transmitted diseases and about 8-10 percent of them are HIV carriers.

These people will be a dangerous source of disease transmission to the community once they are released and not controlled. To avoid this danger, centers will promote education as well as provide vocational training and seek job for them to help them not return to the old way.

However, the current difficulties are the support measures for these people are insufficient. For example, the state only provides each prostitute with VND650,000 ($30) for a vocational training course and VND 1 million to find a job (supported only once). This amount is not enough for them to learn a job or to find a suitable job to reintegrate into the society.

Moreover, prostitution brings about high income, so we worry that the rate of prostitutes who still do their former job after being released would be high.

If they continue to violate, are there more powerful measures to deal with?

Under the law, if they continue violations, they will be administratively sanctioned. The problem is imposing administrative sanctions on prostitutes is difficult because most of them do not have money with them when they are seized. If they are caught in the act but they do not have money, police can seize them for about 24 hours to wait for someone to come to pay a fine for them.

Moreover, the law also has loopholes to their advantage. For example, sanctions are not imposed on prostitutes who are pregnant women, breastfeeding a baby, women of over 50, etc.

In addition, compared with income from prostitution, the administrative fine is not high enough.

ANTD