Directive No. 14-CT on Preventing and Combating Prostitution

DIRECTIVE

ON PREVENTING AND COMBATING PROSTITUTION 

AT present, prostitution is developing in our country, causing negative impacts on cultural and social life, public order and security, and tarnishing traditional moral values and customs of the nation.

This evil also destroys the happiness of many families and more seriously, provides favorable conditions for the spread of AIDS.

The risk of increasing prostitution exists in many places, especially in urban areas, industrial zones, residential areas, hotels, restaurants, parks, ports...

One of the main reasons for this situation is that the work of propaganda and education on morality and healthy lifestyles among the people has not been emphasized enough, failing to make everyone, all sectors, and all groups fully aware of the importance and responsibility of combating prostitution. State management in the social sector remains lax, with lenient penalties creating opportunities for those with loose lifestyles, indulgent behavior, and buyers and sellers of sexual services to exploit.

To implement Resolution No. 5-CP dated January 29, 1992 of the Government on "preventing and combating prostitution" to improve social life, the Ministry of Culture and Information requests relevant departments, levels of culture and information, mass media agencies, and localities and social organizations to carry out the following tasks:

I. FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND UNITS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION

- Organize research and implementation of Resolution No. 5-CP of the Government on "preventing and combating prostitution." Recognize the responsibilities of the department as stated in the resolution: "The Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Culture and Information shall cooperate to incorporate necessary knowledge about the harms of prostitution into school and societal education, promote healthy and cultured lifestyles, and mobilize all social strata to combat and eliminate this evil." From this, develop appropriate and effective measures in cultural and information activities to contribute to eliminating prostitution.

- Strengthen state management over cultural and information activities by researching and drafting suitable and strict regulations to prevent environmental pollution caused by immoral content. Coordinate with customs authorities to firmly block the importation of video tapes, music tapes, books, newspapers, pictures, and other cultural products containing pornographic or sexually stimulating content.

- Collaborate with police and related agencies to strengthen supervision over publishing, journalism, film screening, karaoke, video performances, and the sale and distribution of pictures. Any violation of regulations or laws must be dealt with strictly.

- Work with educational and training institutions, schools, to introduce essential knowledge about the harms of prostitution into schools and society; inspire positive emotions and clear morals, traditional culture, and good customs in people to foster healthy living habits among the populace.

Artistic units, exhibitions, cinemas, cultural houses, mobile information teams, and publishing agencies need to create forms of activity with content criticizing promiscuous lifestyles, condemning the evil deeds of brothel owners, pimps, and procurers of prostitutes; expand campaigns to build civilized family cultures. At the same time, clearly analyze the harmful consequences of buying and selling sex, linked to the AIDS disaster, threatening the survival of the race, so that people can see the importance of preventing and eliminating prostitution.

II. FOR MASS MEDIA AGENCIES

- All newspapers, radio stations, television stations, publishers, and mass communication means must not publish, broadcast, or print any news, articles, or images with provocative content.

- Launch a campaign to educate and propagate against prostitution.

- Daily and weekly newspapers should have a special column for educating and propagating healthy lifestyles and condemning prostitution and purchasing sex, including exposing dens of vice and money-making schemes using prostitutes, possibly naming and showing images of evildoers.

- Newspapers such as "Pioneer," "Youth," and "Women" should have youth and women forums with the theme "eradicating prostitution."

- Radio and television stations should have cultural and social columns to educate, propagate, and mobilize all social strata to adopt healthy lifestyles and participate in eradicating and eliminating prostitution.

III. FOR LOCAL SECTORS, SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS

Organizations and units under various sectors, hotels, guesthouses, restaurants... belonging to localities, social organizations, and mass organizations, which organize cultural entertainment activities or provide cultural services through artistic performances, fashion shows, film screenings, videos, and karaoke, must comply with current cultural activity regulations. They must absolutely not promote or disseminate bad content with provocative elements. They should organize healthy and joyful cultural and artistic activities to serve the masses and contribute to society's efforts to combat prostitution.

Eradicating prostitution is a pressing issue concerning cultural and social life. It is required that all agencies and units under the Ministry, mass media agencies, and localities, social organizations, and individuals implement this Directive effectively to quickly eliminate prostitution.