The older prostitutes laugh indulgently. At 21, Ha has been streetwalking for only one month. She still has big dreams. Sitting on tiny stools next to a sidewalk snack cart, she and her companions watch motorcycles roar by and try to catch the eyes of potential customers. Sex is one of the biggest growth industries in rapidly changing Vietnam, a product of new demand, limited options for poor women and waning traditional values.
Brothels flourished in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, but the victorious Communists herded prostitutes into rehabilitation centers in Some resumed work upon release, but they were few and inconspicuous. Now, with incomes rising, more urban men have money to buy sex and more rural women see it as a way to a better life. Not just in this city once called Saigon, but in beer halls, truck stops and marketplaces all over Vietnam, prostitutes are more numerous and obvious than ever.
Authorities estimated the number nationwide at 70,, with 50, in Ho Chi Minh City. But social workers say these figures are several years old and far too low. As a prostitute, she finds police bother her less. Prostitutes can be seen on many nighttime streets, often sitting at snack stands or outside bars.
Few wear miniskirts, plunging blouses or spike heels--that would ensure speedy arrest. But their air of waiting sets them apart. The government orders vice crackdowns now and then, prompting hundreds of arrests. The rest of the time, payoffs from pimps, favors from women and preoccupation with other kinds of rising crime encourage police to ignore the sex industry.
Many share a cynical assumption that as more foreign businessmen and tourists come, prostitution inevitably will grow. Prostitutes who cater to foreigners are the most visible. They hustle for drinks, dances and more at bars and discos.
