The involvement of relevant authorities is needed.

(Baonghean)Recently, readers have been continuously calling the hotline to complain that the labels on DVDs, VCDs, and music CDs for children sold on the market include advertisements for films and images with unhealthy content that is inappropriate for their age...

At the busiest "CD and DVD center" in Vinh City, located on Ho Tung Mau Street, we stopped at a shop to inquire about buying children's music CDs. Before we could even finish speaking, the shop owner displayed dozens of CDs for us to choose from. We noticed that most of the labels on these children's music CDs featured advertisements for sex and downloads to mobile phones, occupying more than a third of the label space. In the section for downloading "pornographic" films, the CDs advertised suggestive images of girls in bikinis in various poses, along with instructions: text PB5 [film code] to 8777... Mr. Tran Van Dung (residing in Nghi Kim commune, Vinh City), who was looking to buy children's music CDs for his child, shook his head in dismay: "Children's music CDs with all these adult images and advertisements are really dangerous..."

Leaving this area, we went around to the record stores on Dinh Cong Trang Street. Here, the shop owners enthusiastically introduced us to newly released CDs such as "Xuan Mai the Little Stork," "Abalone - Washing Your Face Like a Cat," "Who Buys Glasses, Platform Shoes - A Collection of Hilarious Advertising Tips,"... In the children's music section, we also encountered suggestive images and sexually suggestive advertisements, not unlike the content printed on the CD labels sold in stores on Ho Tung Mau Street.

The shops selling CDs and DVDs on Ho Tung Mau Street (Vinh City).

According to our observations, children's music CDs containing "sexy" images and "adult" advertisements are most prevalent in compilations of children's songs, Vietnamese fairy tales, cartoons like Tom & Jerry, and superhero movies. These CDs are all pirated copies, reprinted with covers, and sold on the market for an average price of 10,000 VND. They are widely available, from roadside CD shops to markets and street vendors from cities to districts and towns. On these CDs, "sexy" images and offensive advertisements are printed on the back cover along with the song list to attract attention. For example: "Watch the movie 'First Time Doing It'," "Sexy Kitchen Maid" - text JLX code to 8701 (printed on the cover of the music CD Bao Ngu - Washing Face Like a Cat)...

Ms. Tran Thi Hien, residing in Le Loi ward, recounted her outrage: "My daughter and her husband went sightseeing and asked me to look after their child. Seeing that the child was engrossed in watching commercials, I stopped by a video store on Ho Tung Mau street and bought a DVD of 'A Collection of Funny Commercial Tips' to coax the child to eat. Unexpectedly, when my son-in-law came home and showed the DVD to his child, he discovered that the back cover featured advertisements for 'pornographic' films. Hearing my child's story, I was furious; I couldn't believe I had unknowingly purchased such a depraved product. It's beyond words..."

Ms. Duong Thanh Thuy, a teacher at Nghi Phu Primary School, believes that children at this age are very curious, want to explore the world around them, and desperately need proper guidance from school, family, and society. However, what will happen if these harmful products reach them? No one can be sure that they won't be infected by such harmful culture. With their curious nature, what if they see an advertisement with pornographic content and secretly text to view it? And it's not just children; even adults find such content harmful.

Speaking with us, Mr. Tran Van Sanh, Chief Inspector of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, acknowledged the continued sale of pirated CDs and DVDs on the market. He stated that the issue of children's music and film discs containing offensive advertising content, as mentioned above, has only recently become known. Mr. Sanh also acknowledged that complete inspection and prevention is very difficult, as inspections at one store are often followed by other stores already aware of the situation, making detection challenging. Furthermore, he pointed out that after inspections, these stores often resume selling the pirated discs. Lieutenant Colonel Duong Huy Thong, Deputy Head of the Internal Political Security Department (Provincial Police), stated that in this area, administrative violations are handled by the Department of Culture's inspectorate, while criminal offenses are handled by the police.

It is my opinion that the printing, copying, and sale of music CDs and DVDs containing offensive and obscene images and content, including those intended for children, should be prohibited. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture needs to proactively develop inspection methods and coordinate with relevant authorities to promptly take action to prevent and strictly punish the printing, copying, and sale of pirated CDs and DVDs, including children's CDs and DVDs containing unhealthy images and information currently available on the market.

Text and photos: Dang Nguyen