NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE -------	SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence- Freedom- Happiness ---------
No. 10/2003/PL-UBTVQH11	Hanoi, March 17^th, 2003

ORDINANCE

ON PROSTITUTION PREVENTION AND COMBAT

In order to contribute to protecting the fine cultural traditions of the nation, the honor and dignity of people, family happiness, preserving social order and safety, protecting the people's health, building and developing the Vietnamese people;
Pursuant to the 1992 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which was amended and supplemented under Resolution No. 51/2001/QH10 of December 25, 2001 of the X^th National Assembly at its 10th session;
Pursuant to Resolution No. 12/2002/QH11 of December 16, 2002 of the XI^th National Assembly, its second session, on the Law- and Ordinance-Making Programs of the XI^th National Assembly for its whole tenure (2002-2007) and for 2003;
This Ordinance provides for prostitution prevention and combat.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.- Scope of regulation

This Ordinance provides for measures to prevent and combat prostitution; and defines the responsibilities of agencies, organizations, individuals and families for prostitution prevention and combat.

Article 2.- Subjects of application

This Ordinance applies to:

1. Vietnamese individuals, agencies and organizations;

2. Foreign individuals and organizations operating in the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; where the international agreements which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has signed or acceded to contain different provisions, such international agreements shall apply.

Article 3.- Interpretation of terms

In this Ordinance, the following words and phrases are construed as follows:

1. Selling sex means a person having sexual intercourse with another for pay with money or other material benefits.

2. Buying sex means a person paying money or other material benefits to a prostitute for having sexual intercourse with such person.

3. Prostitution means acts of selling and buying sex.

4. Prostitution harboring means acts of using, renting, leasing, borrowing or lending venues and/or means for buying and selling sex.

5. Organization of prostitution activities means acts of making arrangements for buying and selling sex.

6. Prostitution coercion means acts of using violence or threatening to use violence or using tricks to force other persons to sell sex.

7. Prostitution brokerage means acts of allurement or procurement by panders for the parties to buy and sell sex.

8. Prostitution protection means acts of abusing one's position, powers, prestige or using violence or threatening to use violence to protect and maintain prostitution activities.

Article 4.- Prohibited acts

The following acts are strictly prohibited:

1. Buying sex;

2. Selling sex;

3. Harboring prostitution;

4. Organizing prostitution activities;

5. Forcing prostitution;

6. Brokering prostitution;

7. Protecting prostitution;

8. Abusing the service business for prostitution activities;

9. Other acts related to prostitution activities as prescribed by law.

Article 5.- Implementation of the legislation on prostitution prevention and combat