Foreign and domestic delegates met at a workshop in the northern province of Quang Ninh on November 25 to seek ways to fight against prostitution, which has been getting more sophisticated in this booming hi-tech era.

The Department for Social Vices Prevention of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs admitted that more professional prostitution rings are capitalising on the development of the Internet, mobile phones and other modern devices to market themselves both at home and abroad, making it difficult for law enforcement officials to control.

Some rings even ply their trade openly in specific areas, resulting in social insecurity and serious public concern.

A representative from the Quang Ninh provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said sex services are emerging at karaoke parlours, and dance halls, and even cruise services in Ha Long Bay.

To eliminate this, concerned local agencies have actively launched awareness campaigns, keeping the public mindful of laws and discipline. They have combined socio-economic development and social welfare policies with vocational training projects in a bid to help former sex workers integrate into the community.

Simultaneously, they have conducted thorough probes and imposed harsh punishment if violations are found.

Meanwhile, Hanoi is actively investigating and putting criminals involved in prostitution on trial, focusing on hotspots across the city.

In a joint effort with the Department of Information and Communications, the city’s police are cracking down on those using modern technology to traffic, cheat and force women into prostitution.

Thanks to foreign funding, the city is opening vocational training and health centres for sex workers. An inter-sectoral network to track down their profiles will be up and running soon.

Participants at the event, hosted by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, also talked about policymaking in the fight against sex for sale and learnt about the practical experience of the Netherlands.-VNA