On January 29, 2024, according to the Vietnamese media Labor Network, the problem of prostitution in Vietnam is still complicated, and the number of prostitutes may be much higher than the number assessed by the authorities, approaching 10,000.
A few days ago, the Da Nang City Criminal Police Department smashed a Telegram prostitution group of more than 15,000 people, owned by Tran Quang Viet and administratored by Nguyen Teng Ko. Regarding this news, the editor has also reported before: another large prostitution ring in Vietnam, with more than 15,000 members, has been dismantled
Vietnam's Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has just released a report summarizing efforts to prevent and combat prostitution in 2023 and directions and tasks for 2024.
The agency assessed that the current problem of prostitution remains complex, both in nature and in terms of the scale of operations. There are an estimated 9,596 prostitutes nationwide.
However, due to the complexity, fluidity and concealment of prostitution, the actual number may be much higher than 9,596.
At present, the phenomenon of prostitution in public places is decreasing, and the visibility is also less than before. However, prostitution has transformed and developed, using hidden keywords for prostitution, which only people in the industry understand, such as sugar daddy, sugar baby and bố nuôi.
Prostitution is hidden in the form of sexual stimulation, with waitresses in restaurants, dimly lit cafes, cafes, karaoke, massage parlors, bars, dance clubs and schools. In addition, large-scale and nude dances are carried out in township industrial areas.
In big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, on the surface, some foreigners have financed the opening of restaurants, hotels, and dance halls for foreigners, but in essence it is a disguised form of prostitution.
The use of the Internet for prostitution is complex
In particular, with the development of social networks, the use of cyberspace for prostitution has become more complex.
Prostitutes or brokers use the Internet to engage in prostitution activities, and establish closed groups to advertise and solicit customers through social networking sites such as the dark web, Facebook, Zalo, Viber, TikTok, and Telegram;
In the border areas, although the scale of prostitution activities is small, the forms are concealed and the methods are complex, mainly in the areas of tourism, commerce and entertainment.
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, there are still 184 places of open prostitution in Viet Nam, but there are no hot spots or complex places that arouse public outrage. Conclusion: Prostitution brokers and prostitutes tend to engage in prostitution on social networking sites, moving from offline to online.