HCM City proposes to set up special zones for sensitive services Areas for sensitive services should be established in some cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Nam Dinh, an official from HCM City said at a recent conference reviewing the prostitution prevention program in 2011-2015.   Currently, there are over 160,000 businesses supplying sensitive services, up 88,000 compared with the 2006-2010 period. Of these, nearly 70,000 establishments have female employees under 35 years old, with more than 6,000 female employees suspected of being involved in prostitution, and more than 11,000 sex workers recorded. Mr. Le Van Quy, vice head of the HCM City Social Evil Prevention Bureau, said the firms and units offering sensitive services (bars, karaoke, night clubs, massage parlors, etc.) should be gathered into a specialized area to facilitate state management and to ensure the interest of workers. Through this model, social organizations can help prostitutes return to normal life through legal advisory and employment assistance. Quy said the formation of such areas is not synonymous with legally accepting prostitution. Vietnam law does not recognize prostitution as a profession and this is a violation of law. To make this model effective, it is necessary to have policy and thorough guidance and implementation from top to bottom, he said. Quy said this plan will face many difficulties so it is a must to have a specific program. "We need to change attitudes, awareness of the prevention of prostitution. We should trial this model to know its advantages and weakness," he said. Mr. Phung Quang Thuc, Director of the Hanoi Social Evils Prevention Bureau, said this is a creative solution. However, relevant bodies should conduct research properly before implementing it to not cause disturbances. "The implementation of this model depends on the laws and decrees on combating prostitution. Whether it is carried out or not, the sensitive service, prostitution must be still controlled tightly," said Thuc. Mr. Do Duc Nguyen, Director of the Social Evils Prevention Bureau of Nam Dinh province, said the idea is good to manage sensitive services but it will cause disturbance to the people living in the area and those who have to move to the area. Therefore this issue should be further researched. Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam also said that the proposal should be considered more carefully. “Local authorities are struggling to find solutions for the prevention of prostitution, but let’s imagine that if the services like hair shampooing, massage, and cafes are grouped up into one area, is it convenient for the service users?” Dam questioned. He doubted that prostitution will not appear in other places when such zones are set up. "If the proposal is feasible, we will study, but until now I cannot say that it is a feasible solution," Dam said. Currently, there are over 160,000 businesses supplying sensitive services, up 88,000 compared with the 2006-2010 period. Of these, nearly 70,000 establishments have female employees under 35 years old, with more than 6,000 female employees suspected of being involved in prostitution, and more than 11,000 sex workers recorded. "In the past 5 years, prostitution reduced in general but it was complex in some areas. The number of more than 11,000 sex workers under management was just the tip of the iceberg," said Ms Le Thi Ha, Deputy Director of the Social Evils Prevention Department of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Linh Nhat, VNN