Police authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh on December 6 decided to discipline ten police officers for allegedly filming the arrest of two naked prostitutes after the footage was posted on the Internet.
A snapshot from an online clip filming Quang Ninh's police's prostitution raid which has provoked public's protests and experts' concerns.
Accordingly, six police officers will be downgraded, from one to two badge ranks and one of them is going to be transferred immediately.
Second in command of the Cam Pha Police’s Social Crime Investigation Division Ngo Duy Nang will not have a salary increase for one year.
Leader of the Cam Pha Police’s Social Crime Investigation Division Le Si Toan and deputy chief of Cam Pha Police Hoang Thanh Nhuong will be downgraded two ranks to emulation work.
Senior lieutenant colonel Nguyen Quoc Tien, Cam Pha chief police will be downgraded one rank to emulation work.
Furthermore, The Cam Pha Police will not be recognized in the emulation unit for the year 2010.
In Vietnam, prostitution is still illegal. However, all police officers must respect persons they interview or have parties with, including prostitutes.
A clip shot from an unidentified location, posted on You-tube in November, shows a tattooed man and two naked girls trying to cover themselves with their hands, while the police officers yell insults at them.
A police spokernperson said, “One of the girls can be seen sitting on the bed naked, while an officer in plain clothes repeatedly shouts at her to stand up and extend her arms for him to take a picture. Another two police officers say humiliating things to the women, making them cry. While another police officer is taking pictures of the scene with his mobile phone”.
After the clip was posted on the internet, many people wrote to many newspapers demanding that the police ministry discipline the “uncouth” police officers.
