Legalizing prostitution in vietnam why and why not

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY NGUYEN CONG THAI SON LEGALIZING PROSTITUTION IN VIETNAM: WHY AND WHY NOT? MASTER’S THESIS VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY NGUYEN CONG THAI SON LEGALIZING PROSTITUTION IN VIETNAM: WHY AND WHY NOT? MAJOR: PUBLIC POLICY CODE: 8340402.01 RESEARCH SUPERVISOR: PH.D VU HOANG LINH Hanoi, 2021 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis of mine would not be completed without any assistance Therefore, I would like to express my sincerest thanks for the support and motivation during the time of completing this thesis First of all, I would like to thank my mentor – PhD Vu Hoang Linh His enthusiastic help and valuable advice have guided me in completing and improving the quality of this thesis Without your help, I would not have been able to complete this thesis effectively The most special thanks go to all the teachers and assistants of the Master's Program of Public Policy The advice and suggestions of yours during the process of completing this thesis helped me see the shortcomings in my thesis as well as how to improve it I would also like to thank ILO, CEPEW, CSAGA, PhD Duong Kim Anh & PhD Nguyen Thi Thu Huong for their advice while I was looking for an in-depth interviewee Finally, I would like to express my love and respect to my family and friends who have accompanied me throughout my studies Thank you for always encouraging me to pursue my master's dream, dad I hope you can watch me finish this graduate thesis from the above Hanoi, 17th June 2021, Sincerely, Nguyen Cong Thai Son TABLE OF CONTENTS LISTS OF TABLES i LIST OF FIGURES ii ABBREVIATION iii Chap 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research Background 1.2 Problem Statement 1.3 Research purpose and questions 1.4 Research scope and time 1.5 Research significance 1.6 Methodology 1.7 Structure of research Chapter LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY .7 2.1 Literature review 2.1.1 Studies on prostitution in Vietnam 14 2.1.2 Media coverage of prostitution legalization 15 2.2 Research gap .17 2.3 Legislative framework in Vietnam 17 2.4 Research flow 19 2.5 Survey and in-depth interview 19 Chapter FINDINGS 21 3.1 Survey result 21 3.1.1 Demographic 21 3.1.2 Public perception about prostitution 22 3.1.3 Public perception about the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam 23 3.1.4 Reaction to a vision where prostitution is legalized in Vietnam 24 3.2 In-depth interview result .25 3.2.1 Sex workers’ perception about legalizing prostitution 25 3.2.2 Interview with lawyers 28 3.2.3 NGO expert’s opinion on legalizing prostitution in Vietnam 29 3.3 Finding and discussion 30 Chapter CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 33 4.1 Conclusion 33 4.2 Policy implications 33 4.3 Limitations 35 REFERENCES 36 APPENDIX 39 LISTS OF TABLES Table 2.1: List of countries with legal and limited legal prostitution……………11 Table 2.2: The Pros and Cons of Legalization of prostitution………………… 13 i LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 The Facebook post about “Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam” from Tifosi fanpage……………………………………………………………………………… 16 Figure 2.2 Research flow…………………………………………………………… 19 Figure 3.1 The gender and age distribution of survey respondents……………………20 Figure 3.2 The living areas distribution of survey respondents… ………………… 21 Figure 3.3 The income distribution of survey respondents…………………… 21 ii ABBREVIATION CEDAW: Convention on the Elimination of All Form of Discrimination Against Women EU: European Union ILO: International Labour Organization STD: Sexually Transmitted Diseases WHO: World Health Organization iii Chap 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research Background Prostitution is the most controversial profession in the world Although this profession addresses one of the most basic human needs: sex, it is often referred to with discrimination, hatred, and prejudice In any case, as it has existed for thousands of years since the advent of mankind, prostitution will continue to thrive in the future despite ethical skepticism as well as the extreme negative influences it brings to society The cultural, political, and social diversity of countries around the world leads to different conceptions of prostitution All these factors lead to different decisions in different countries regarding the legality of sex work According to the research of Procon.org (2018), out of 197 countries and territories worldwide, 53 countries legalize prostitution and prostitution, and 12 countries recognize the legalization of prostitution within a limited framework In 53 countries where prostitution is legal, only 15 countries recognize prostitution as a profession, guaranteed rights, and responsibilities such as paying taxes, social insurance, etc The differences in policies towards prostitution in these countries are also very diverse For example, according to Guy (1991), it is illegal in Argentina to open a brothel, to organize prostitution, or to profit from it, Argentina but it is illegal to so Buying or selling sex is completely legal These regulations are somewhat stricter than those on prostitution in Austria According to the report from the Sex-Worker Forum of Vienna, Austria (2013), prostitution in Austria is freely organized but under control at three levels: “Central”, “Local” and “Personal” We can see plenty of limitations in the legislation on organized prostitution in many countries Some typical cases can be mentioned such as Belize, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, etc Some countries limit the negative effects of this activity by limiting the area where prostitution is organized, such as Argentina According to Guy (1991), in this country, prostitution is only recognized as legal when it takes place in areas 500 meters away from public facilities such as schools, hospitals, and churches In countries where the restrictions on prostitution are stricter, the limits on regulatory laws are also different According to House Government Bill C-36 issued in 2014 of Canada, prostitution is legal but buying sex is not In another attempt to combat human trafficking, members of the Icelandic parliament passed legislation providing for bans on buying individuals for purposes of prostitution This is considered as one of the great strides in limiting the negative effects of prostitution in this country In some other countries, prostitution is completely banned but still going strong The most typical example can be mentioned Thailand In Thailand, prostitution is completely banned under the Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act B.E 2539 released in 1996 However, Thailand is still famous for sex tours or sex tourism According to a report by Havocscope in 2015, the prostitution market in Thailand reached a size of $6.4 billion a year, contributing 3% of the country's GDP This is the result of poor local governance at the grassroots level and severe corruption in law enforcement agencies such as courts and police The situation of promulgating laws as well as policies to control activities related to prostitution poses a need to update the legal system as well as regulations and policies in Vietnam to become more relevant and up-to-date world direction In addition, the worrying growth of prostitution in Vietnam in terms of both scale and complexity has raised controversy over whether to legalize prostitution in Vietnam According to the Prime Minister's Decision No 361 / QD-TTg dated March 7, 2016, on the Prostitution Prevention and Control Program for the 2016-2020 period: The current situation of prostitution in Vietnam is complicated and developing dramatically With the booming of technology and communication, prostitution activities now have more methods to execute and it becomes more challenging for the public government to follow and take control of This document also mentions the report of 63 provinces and centrally-run cities, currently, the number of sex workers with management records is 11,240 people, of which, concentrated in some areas such as Red River Delta: 3,673 people.; Northeast: 913 people; North Central: 887 people; Southeast: 3,200 people; Mekong River Delta: 1,374 people; 1,189 people in other areas However, the actual number may be even higher since this is a difficult activity to control due to its complexity, sophistication, and disguise New types of prostitution activities and subjects are emerging: call girls, sex tourists, foreigners selling sex, male sex workers, gay sex workers, transgender sex workers, online prostitution brokers internet, Facebook, The situation of sex workers using drugs tends to increase; sex buyers of many different ages and groups, including those who have no stable jobs, are self-employed: 75.7%, enterprises: 20%, officers, employees: %; 80% of owners, brokers are from 18 to 25 years old; Over 40% of the owners are women In cities, the re-emergence of prostitution venues in public areas, adversely affecting the cultural environment, fine customs, and traditions, affecting social order and safety, causing frustration in public opinion With prostitution in Vietnam becoming more difficult to control and complicated, many suggestions on the legalization of prostitution have been made The arguments in favor of legalizing prostitution were raised such as: reducing the HIV infection rate, policy revenues coming from tax, reducing rape crime, managing prostitution, and addressing basic human needs Besides, there are objections for reasons such as violation of the constitution, the lax in the ability of the executive to manage the law, and the violation of fine customs According to Tien Phong News, on January 29th, 2013, in a meeting with the press, Mr Le Duc Hien - Deputy Director of the Department of Social Vices Prevention affirmed "Definitely not legalizing prostitution" He said that in Vietnam, the people's customs, habits, lifestyle, and sense of law observance not allow prostitution to be legalized or recognized as a profession His statement also partly shows the will and thinking about the legalization of prostitution of the Communist Party of Vietnam as well as relevant law enforcement parties This statement is consistent with the articles of the Constitution on marriage "One husband, one wife" However, the necessary situation of considering the legalization of prostitution as well as proposing to overcome the inconsistencies in the legal decrees issued to regulate and manage sex work in localities requires further research and careful consideration However, research on this issue is still limited There are not many in-depth studies to analyze the negative side as well as the benefits of legalizing prostitution in Vietnam under different angles such as Economy, policy, social security, human rights, and fine customs This study is designed to partly answer the existing problems of this topic Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam does not improve the living and working environment of sex workers in Vietnam, but only makes it more difficult as sanctions create additional barriers for workers Legalizing prostitution will create more problems than focusing on improving laws and policy tools related to this issue With experience working with many real-life cases of sex work, she raises concerns about the future of this type of activity as it evolves into a much more complex direction The authorities, if they not promptly monitor, capture and update the sanctions to handle and support sex workers, will make prostitution morph and bring many problems to society 3.3 Finding and discussion The results from the survey of the target population as well as in-depth interviews with key players reveal some facts about prostitution in Vietnam From the actual collection, comments, and assessments on prostitution in Vietnam, the outstanding issues in the management of prostitution and the regulations and policies on prostitution are pointed out The ethical values of Vietnamese society are one of the main barriers that make the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam less feasible In Vietnam, prostitution is considered a social vice instead of a profession In Vietnamese society, the acts of selling and buying sex services are contrary to fine customs and traditions, deviant behavior, and not acceptable according to the cultural standards of the country Within the family, a husband, father, or any child involved in prostitution is unacceptable, which can threaten and disrupt the happiness of the family Because of the perception of society, sex workers receive derision, discrimination, and assault from society As long as social prejudice against this type of activity remains the same, legalizing prostitution in Vietnam remains an unrealistic idea 30 Sex workers will not intend to participate, register to enjoy incentives and protection when prostitution is legalized in Vietnam because they not want to face judgment and prejudice from the community Sex workers find it difficult to reintegrate into society when they give up prostitution due to social stigma and lack of support from the government It can be seen that the main reason pushing many people into prostitution is due to their difficult economic circumstances and lack of employment And that's also the reason why most of them can't get paid Along with that, discrimination is a barrier for sex workers who intend to quit selling sex and earn another livelihood Although the government has a policy to support loans for sex workers to return to society, many people not register for fear of being discriminated against by the community Therefore, the number of sex workers accessing loans is very low Currently, sanctions and policy tools focus on reducing prostitution rather than finding ways to support sex workers Sex workers struggle to find a way out or job opportunities to change their lives Even when they have given up prostitution, it is very difficult to reintegrate into society when they are always labeled and assumed to be a bad part of society Legalizing prostitution can bring more downsides and social problems than economic benefits When the management capacity of the authorities at all levels is not strong enough to handle the extremely complex business type of prostitution, the legalization of prostitution only brings more problems to security and social order than protecting the rights of sex workers or creating economic interests Tax collection of this type will also be a difficult problem and bring a burden to the already overloaded administrative apparatus in Vietnam Existing sanctions, as well as legal provisions, need improvement to ensure fairness as well as protect the rights of sex workers Currently, the penal code, as well as the current documents, still focus on handling fines but lack measures to support sex workers The legal provisions are outdated compared to the current situation Specifically, the situation of male and foreign sex workers in Vietnam in recent years is not large, but still exists and activities tend to 31 develop complicatedly The phenomenon of gay male prostitution or men disguised as girls to deceive customers into buying sex is increasing in public areas The provisions in the legal documents are scattered, lack uniformity, even overlaps, the scope and subject of regulation are still limited, so the application is difficult The legal validity of those documents is not high, and the legal responsibilities of state agencies or mass organizations in the prevention and control of prostitution have not been strictly regulated Therefore, the promulgation of a legal document with high legal effect to unify and fully concentrate the regulations on prostitution prevention and control and overcome the mentioned limitations is very necessary 32 Chapter CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Conclusion From the experience of countries around the world on the legalization of prostitution, combined with a survey of the public and consultation with key players (prostitutes, lawyers, experts), the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam at the moment is completely inappropriate for many reasons First, the law enforcement system still has many shortcomings Managing complex activities such as prostitution are difficult to achieve the desired effect Failure to manage this activity effectively only leads to many other problems such as corruption, market manipulation, affecting social safety and security, moral degradation, human trafficking, and STD infection Second, the legalization of prostitution will not reach the consensus of many stakeholders Ethical standards and values in Vietnam not allow prostitution to operate freely and gain recognition as a profession This prevents sex workers - the main target object of legalization of prostitution in Vietnam from participating in policy changes related to this type of activity Third, the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam is contrary to the constitution on human rights and ethical standards - the core of stability and development of Vietnamese society Finally, instead of legalizing prostitution, improving relevant legislation and existing policy tools to support sex workers to give up sex work would be an effective way to reduce supply for the sex market rather than increasing penalties for these subjects In addition, it is necessary to promptly supplement new types of prostitution activities such as gay prostitution, prostitution activities disguised under social relationships, etc 4.2 Policy implications To gain better prevention and respond to violence, harm reduction, interventions, and support community integration for sex workers, Vietnam may consider these implications: 33 Firstly, it is necessary to promulgate the Law on Prostitution Prevention and Control to replace the current Ordinance on Prostitution Prevention and Control The Law on Prostitution Prevention and Control should be promulgated based on a human rights approach, eliminating legal gaps between Vietnamese law and international standards on protecting the rights of disadvantaged groups, aligned with the international convention on human rights, The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) This law should contain specific provisions on measures to ensure the right to protection from all forms of violence and the right to equal access to support services, free of stigma, discrimination, limitation of to prevent exploitation, and violation of the rights of sex workers Secondly, it is necessary to specify acts of violence against sex workers in the Law on Prostitution Prevention and Control These regulations will create the basis for the establishment of a mechanism to protect sex workers, create conditions for sex workers (especially female sex workers) to remove their inferiority complex, apprehension, and ready access agencies to claim their protection in situations that arise Third, the law should stipulate that sex workers who are victims of violence have the right to access medical care and legal aid services of the State Sex workers are a disadvantaged group in society and need help with medical issues to protect their health and improve the prevention and spread of social diseases; help them solve legal problems in life so that they can easily solve difficult problems, find early solutions to get out of prostitution, improve their understanding of rights and prevention measures protect and defend their rights, against infringing acts Fourth, supplement regulations to support sex workers such as vocational training, job placement, and credit loans Sex workers will have the opportunity to prepare for changing jobs and changing their lives; sex workers not have to prove their desire to quit their profession to access and enjoy these policies Last but not least, there should be adjustments in the promulgation of laws to address new types of prostitution such as gay prostitution, disguised prostitution, and limit the 34 development of prostitution in the means of high technology development such as using a social network or communicating application When the above suggestions are implemented simultaneously and effectively, the situation of prostitution in Vietnam will certainly have many positive changes for both society in general and sex workers in particular It is a more effective measure than legalizing prostitution in Vietnam 4.3 Limitations Due to the time and resources limit, the number of survey samples in the survey as well as the number of members participating in the in-depth interview is limited To improve the effectiveness of this research, it is necessary to consult more from other key players such as sex buyers, regulatory agencies such as police, activists fighting for gender equality and feminism, etc In addition, there are differences in the size and form of prostitution in each locality, so the data in the survey tend to be on the prostitution activities taking place in big cities The author hopes that these suggestions would contribute to experiences for further studies 35 REFERENCES Allwood, G (2018, July) Agenda setting, agenda blocking and policy silence: Why is there no EU policy on prostitution? In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol 69, pp 126-134) Pergamon Bilardi, J E., Miller, A., Hocking, J S., Keogh, L., Cummings, R., Chen, M Y., & Fairley, C K (2011) The job satisfaction of female sex workers working in licensed brothels in Victoria, Australia The journal of sexual medicine, 8(1), 116122 Bộ luật hình 2015 (2015) [The Criminal Code of Vietnam 2015] Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Trach-nhiem-hinh-su/Bo-luathinh-su-2015-296661.aspx Boels, D., & Verhage, A (2016) Prostitution in the neighbourhood: Impact on residents and implications for municipal regulation International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 46, 43-56 Cho, S Y., Dreher, A., & Neumayer, E (2013) Does legalized prostitution increase human trafficking? World development, 41, 67-82 Đại biểu Quốc hội đề xuất mạnh bạo quản mại dâm (2021) [National Assembly member strongly proposes prostitution management] Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://plo.vn/xa-hoi/dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-de-xuat-manh-bao-ve-quan-mai-dam763682.html Ekberg, G (2004) The Swedish law that prohibits the purchase of sexual services: Best practices for prevention of prostitution and trafficking in human beings Violence against women, 10(10), 1187-1218 Guy, D J (1991) Sex & danger in Buenos Aires: prostitution, family, and nation in Argentina (Vol 1) U of Nebraska Press Immordino, G., & Russo, F F (2015) Regulating prostitution: A health risk approach Journal of Public Economics, 121, 14-31 Johnson, G F., & Porth, K (2021) Sex work governance models: Variations in a criminalized context Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 18, 233-245 Jonsson, S., & Jakobsson, N (2017, March) Is buying sex morally wrong? Comparing attitudes toward prostitution using individual-level data across eight Western European countries In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol 61, pp 58-69) Pergamon Khơng hợp thức hóa mại dâm (2013) [Do not legalize prostitution] Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://tienphong.vn/khong-hop-thuc-hoa-mai-dam-post612396.tpo Minh, T T., Nhan, D T., West, G R., Durant, T M., Jenkins, R A., Huong, P T., & Valdiserri, R O (2004) Sex workers in Vietnam: how many, how risky? AIDS Education and Prevention, 16(5), 389-404 36 Nadol, P., Hoang, T V., Le, L V., Nguyen, T A., Kaldor, J., & Law, M (2017) High HIV prevalence and risk among male clients of female sex workers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam AIDS and Behavior, 21(8), 2381-2393 Nên hay không nên hợp pháp hóa mại dâm? (2021) [Should or shouldn't prostitution be legalized?] Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://dangcongsan.vn/xa-hoi/nenhay-khong-nen-hop-phap-hoa-mai-dam-478245.html Ngo, A D., McCurdy, S A., Ross, M W., Markham, C., Ratliff, E A., & Pham, H T (2007) The lives of female sex workers in Vietnam: Findings from a qualitative study Culture, health & sexuality, 9(6), 555-570 Petras, J., & Wongchaisuwan, T (1993) Free Markets, AIDS and Child Prostitution Economic and Political Weekly, 440-442 Pháp lệnh phòng, chống mại dâm 2003 10/2003/PL-UBTVQH11 (2003) [Ordinance on Prostitution Prevention and Control 2003 10/2003/PL-UBTVQH11] Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Van-hoa-Xa-hoi/Phaplenh-phong-chong-mai-dam-2003-10-2003-PL-UBTVQH11-50643.aspx ProCon.org (2018, January 11) How Many Prostitutes Are in the United States and the Rest of the World? Retrieved from https://prostitution.procon.org/questions/how-many-prostitutes-are-in-the-unitedstates-and-the-rest-of-the-world/ Prostitution: Prices and Statistics of the Global Sex Trade (2015) Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://www.havocscope.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/06/ProstitutionPricesandStatisticsoftheGlobalSexTrade3.pdf Quyết định 361/QĐ-TTg chương trình phịng chống mại dâm 2016-2020 (2016) [Decision 361/QD-TTg on prostitution prevention program 2016 2020] Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Van-hoa-Xa-hoi/Quyetdinh-361-QD-TTg-chuong-trinh-phong-chong-mai-dam-2016-2020-304807.aspx Strøm, A (2009) A glimpse into 30 years of struggle against prostitution by the women's liberation movement in Norway Reproductive health matters, 17(34), 29-37 Technical Paper: Bill C-36, Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (2014) Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/otherautre/protect/p1.html Thailand Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act B.E 2539 (1996) (2021) Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/WEBTEXT/46403/65063/E96THA01.htm Tifosi's post (2020) Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://www.facebook.com/tifosi.hpo/posts/342623000467033/ Tirelli, U., & Spina, M (1996) Prostitution: to decriminalise or to legalise The Lancet, 348(9032), 962 37 United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2013) Austria: Discriminations against Sex Workers - OHCHR SEX-WORKER FORUM OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA Villacampa, C., & Torres, N (2013) Effects of the criminalizing policy of sex work in Spain International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 41(4), 375-389 38 APPENDIX SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE Survey questionnaire on the topic "Should legalize prostitution in Vietnam" All comments and participation in answering the questionnaire is a valuable source of data for me - Nguyen Cong Thai Son, a student of the Master of Public Policy program of Vietnam Japan University to complete the graduation thesis All information and your comments will be kept confidential Thank you very much for your support! Are you Male or Female (Male/Female) Where are you living now? (Big cities: Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh / Others) Your monthly income - Below 5,000,000 VND - 5,000,000 – 8,000,000 VND - 8,000,000 – 12,000,000 VND - Above 12,000,000 VND Are you interested in topics related to prostitution, prostitution prevention? (Yes/No/Not too much) Do you know about the recent debate about the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam? (Yes/No/Not too much) Do you support the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam? (Yes/No/No idea) On a scale from 1-5 (1 being strongly disagreed), please show your opinion on the issues below: 39 Legalizing prostitution helps improve policy revenue Legalizing prostitution reduces rape rates Legalizing prostitution reduces the HIV transmission rate Legalizing prostitution helps reduce the rate of sexually transmitted diseases The legalization of prostitution protects the rights of sex workers as well as users of sex services Legalizing prostitution helps address basic human sexual needs The legalization of prostitution leads to the growth of human trafficking Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam will not be effective due to incompetent management agencies Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam is more likely to lead to corruption than budget efficiency Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam violates fine customs Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam will affect personal life, marriage, and family Have you ever taken participant in sex services? (Yes/No) Will you try sex services if prostitution is legal in Vietnam? (Yes/No) 40 10 How much are you willing to pay for the sex services if you are going to try it? - Less than 500,000 VND - 500,000 – 1,000,000 VND - More than 1,000,000VND 11 If prostitution is legal in Vietnam, where should it be operating? - Anywhere that has been approved by the government - In special areas with specific conditions for operation 41 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SEX WORKERS How long have you been working? Can you give me some personal information about yourself like age, education level and hometown? Do you have any concerns about your current job? (Health, safety and stability) Do you use any line or system to work or is this freelance job? How does technology development impact your work? Do you support or oppose the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam? Do you receive any support from the Government or local government on working? If you have the opportunity or support to quit your current job and find another legal job, will you change your career? How you assess the idea that legalizing prostitution in Vietnam will enhance and protect the interests of sex workers? 42 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR LAW EXPERTS Do you support or oppose the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam? Why? In the cases of defending and implementing legal proceedings for prostitutionrelated cases in Vietnam, are there gaps, inadequacies in the law related to this issue? Do you think that the sanction of sanctioning prostitution brokerage activities in Vietnam is sufficient to deter and prevent this activity? Do you have any personal suggestions? In your opinion, where should sex work be handled most thoroughly? According to you, does Vietnam need more sanctions or support programs for individuals working and providing prostitution services? 43 INTERVIEW QUESTION FOR NGO EXPERTS Do you support or oppose the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam? Why? In the cases of protecting and fighting for rights of women and sex workers in Vietnam, are there gaps, inadequacies in the law related to this issue? What issues the sex workers usually face up with? In your opinion, where should sex work be handled most thoroughly? According to you, does Vietnam need more sanctions or support programs for individuals working and providing prostitution services? From your opinions, how women’s rights and gender equality can be improved in Vietnam? What actions should be taken to change the perception of prostitution in Vietnam? 44 ... prostitution in Vietnam could increase human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors 29 Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam does not improve the living and working environment of sex workers in Vietnam, ... agencies Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam is more likely to lead to corruption than budget efficiency Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam violates fine customs Legalizing prostitution in Vietnam. .. officials about the legalization of prostitution in Vietnam For Ms H, who has experience in handling cases related to prostitution, legalizing prostitution in Vietnam is not necessarily impossible, but