Young women are continuing to enter beauty contests overseas despite moves by Vietnam authorities to limit their participation by imposing fines.
Model Dieu Linh attracted the ire of authorities and the local media after she flew to Malaysia on December 11 to participate in the Miss International Tourism contest, even though she had not applied for permission from the Department of Performing Arts.
Whether she wins or not, photographs of her participation have been plastered across the pages of newspapers and posted on the Internet.
Other models, such as Hong Que and Bui Thi Ha Anh, took part in the Miss ASEAN 2014 beauty pageant, without permission. Their participation aroused controversy.
This year, model Cao Thuy Linh went to Thailand to compete in the Miss Grand International contest and model Huynh Thuy Anh competed at a beauty contest of overseas Vietnamese in the US, both without proper permission.
Cao Thuy Linh
Their manager explained that Huynh Thuy Anh was visiting relatives in the US when she was invited to compete, and did not have time to lodge the necessary request for permission. Cao Thuy Linh was also invited by the organisers, but did not have time to lodge an official request because of the short admission period.
Huynh Thuy Anh and Cao Thuy Linh
The HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said only established title holders of national beauty pageants could participate in international contests. In 2013, illegal pageant participants were fined VND10-15 million (USD476-714). The fine has since been raised to VND15-30 million.
Le Minh Tuan, an official at the Department of Performing Arts, said the department did not recognise the titles of illegal contestants. "The media and press still attach the contests with the names of those models and unintentionally encourage and promote them," he said.
Another official, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, said, "Many people said we must tighten regulations. But when building the regulations, we must take into consideration the human factor and give violators a chance to recognise their faults and change their behaviour."
One model, who asked not to be named, said women in foreign countries are allowed to participate in international contests if they get into the top three of any licensed beauty pageant. In Vietnam, only title holders were allowed to compete outside the country.