Singer Dam Vinh Hung may be punished for a light-hearted situation in which he kissed two monks at a charity event recently held in HCM City.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Performing Arts Department issued a terse statement that read, “The behaviour is indecent and should be punished.”

Controversial kiss

Nguyen Thanh Nhan, head of the department’s Office for Performing Management said his department had sought punishment for the singer on November 12.

Dam Vinh Hung auctioned a bottle of alcohol for charity on November 4, in HCM City. He promised everyone at the event that he would kiss whoever won the bid.

Two monks won the bottle after bidding VND55 million (USD2,636) and the singer followed through with his promise, kissing the young monk on his lips and the older monk on his hand. No comment has yet been made about how two monks happened to have two and a half thousand dollars to spend on alcohol.

The two monks have been identified and been forced to remain in their pagoda cells for three months.

Dam Vinh Hung has apologised to the public, Buddhist nuns and monks nationwide.