Local model Thai Ha, who has just been fined VND5 million for exposing most of her breasts in a skimpy outfit in an advertising event, continues to draw public criticism when she appears at other public events in revealing clothes.

Responding to the worry that light penalties cannot effectively deter artists from showing off their skin but only give them more publicity, Vo Trong Nam, vice director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism had a talk with Tuoi Tre Newspaper.

When model Thai Ha bared her breasts and was slapped with a penalty, what regulation is the penalty based on?

The incident happened when Thai Ha attended a promotional event for a men’s deodorant product last month. Our decision to fine her and the penalty amount were based on the Decree No. 75/2010/ND-CP on sanctioning cultural activity violations.

How did the department know about the incident?

In the case of Thai Ha, we got the information from online news websites and later worked with the inspection division to handle it.

So if you hadn’t read about the incident on the Internet, Thai Ha’s and similar cases would be overlooked?

That’s normally the case. HCMC is a crowded and complicated environment. There are so many artists and show biz companies operating here that it’s hard for us to manage all of them.

Earlier, some companies and artists were fined for indecent exposure, similar to those with models Ha Anh and Bebe Pham or the "Model Look 2011” in which models promote lingeries without the government permission.

We know about these incidents through our staffs at the scene or the local media.

Most of them claimed to be victims of wardrobe malfunction. So how do the government’s supervisory agencies decide which cases are accidental and which are intentional? And how much skin or bodily exposure will make it punishable?

We need to gather information and step up our inspection work. We will keep our eyes on people who have violated the decency codes.
Also, we have to evaluate the news about the incidents carefully.

It’s truly hard to say how much exposure is acceptable, or unacceptable and therefore has to be penalized. We don’t have a ready answer for that. Different clothes will look differently on different people. So we can’t regulate the length of a skirt, for example.
But we will have a committee of qualified, reputable and highly respected experts to help us evaluate the infraction so that the department can make the right decision.

Immediately after paying the penalty, model Thai Ha continued to show off her body curves at other public events. People said that the penalty is too small to serve as a deterrent and it just gives her more publicity. What do you think about it?

If she continues with more violations, she will get heavier penalty. We will also propose to the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism to suspend her or ban her from modeling in Ho Chi Minh City.
Last August, Quang Binh Province’s Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism has just announced a VND3.5 million fine against the organizer of the "Night of Beauties” charity music show in which many performers have been criticized for donning skimpy costumes.

Though the show aimed to raise money for the poor, participating artists like Hoang Thuy Linh, Thu Minh, Yen Trang, and Minh Hang were not aware of its beautiful meaning and picked the wrong costumes for the occasion.

One month later, there was a public outcry after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of International Cooperation appointed actress Ly Nha Ky as its first tourism ambassador since the actress has been known for exposing her body.

In a play titled "General Vo Nguyen Giap and the symphony of Dien Bien” which was broadcast live on TV, Ky angered many audiences when she wore a dress that showed part of her chest.

Ky continued to be criticized for exhibiting 500 photos of herself in swimsuits and revealing clothes at a charity event in Nha Trang.

Elsewhere in the region, authorities in Malaysia in 2006 fined a local organizer of the U.S. girl band Pussycats Dolls for flouting the country’s decency laws.

In 2003 U.S. rock band Linkin Park were forbidden from wearing shorts while performing in the country, while in 2004 singer Mariah Carey was asked to comply with Malaysian dress regulations.

Local pop singer Cao Thai has recently received a VND4.5million (US$225) fine, becoming the first performer to be fined for lip-syncing a performance, in accordance with the government’s Decree No.75 on sanctioning art performance violators.
At the show in Ho Chi Minh City titled "Qua Tang Tinh Yeu” (The Gift of Love), which was broadcast live on VTV9 on June 23, the singer gave an emotional performance of the song "Anh Sai Roi” (I Was Wrong) with tears on his face. However, there was a public outcry after people found out that Son was lip-syncing during that performance.

The show’s organizers and the performers were later invited to the city Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism to explain the incident. Vo Trong Nam, head of the department, said the singer admitted that his performance was not real singing at the meeting.

"Actually, the lip-syncing was due to a technical problem that went beyond my control. Still, I violated the law and it’s obvious that I have to be fined. This is a precious lesson for me. I’ve never meant to lip-sync on stage and definitely will not let this thing happen again,” Son said.

According to Nam, if the singer repeats the act, he will be sanctioned up to VND6 million and be banned from performing.

Nhac Xanh (Green Music), the show’s organizer, also recevied a VND5 million penalty.

For a stricter and cleaner showbiz

In June, performance management agencies held a meeting on the government’s guideline No.65on re-organizing art and fashion performance activities. At the meeting, scantily-clad performers and lip-syncing singers were considered big problems that need to be strictly removed from modern show business.

According to the new guidelines, entertainers who show too much flesh and those who lip-sync on stage could be fined up to VND25 million (US$1,250), instead of VND 6million as before, and banned from performing for a period of up to two years.

Also in the effort to clean up the showbiz industry, which has become known for scandals, the Performing Arts Department said it will ask local TV and radio stations not to broadcast shows that violate such regulations.

Moreover, Deputy Minister Ho Anh Tuan of the ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has recently ordered that the names of artists who have violated the rules within the last three years be published in local mass media in order to help art management agencies better control the industry.

The effort is gradually working, and local show organizers have been more careful in their programs.

Singer Thu Minh, who was fined for her skimpy performing outfit at a music show titled "Ngan Sao Hoi Tu” (The Convergence of a Thousand Stars) in HCMC on April 20, said that several show organizers have hesitated to invite her after the sanction.

Thu Minh

Thu Minh was also sanctioned earlier for her scanty performing outfit

Similarly, besides the monetary fine Cao Thai Son, the most recent violator, was also rejected from the list of performers at VTV’s Sao Mai Diem Hen 2012 music program on July 7. According to Huyen Thanh, head of the program’s organizing board, after the lip-syncing incident, the show decided to take back the invitation to Son whether he was fined or not.

"VTV wants to seriously follow the government’s guideline No.65,” she added.