Capital city authorities are determined to close Internet cafes located less than 200 meters from schools before August 30.

“We can’t let students play games all day and night at Internet cafes,” confirmed Hanoi Department of Information and Communications Director Pham Quoc Ban on July 28.

The city will also ask Internet cafes to sign voluntary commitments to close their doors after 11pm. This task will be completed before August 15. An inspection team will check business registrations of Internet cafes, starting August 16.

The Hanoi Department of Information and Communications has asked Internet service providers to cut down Internet transmissions to cafes that break the rules (with an enclosed list of violators).

Ban remarked that his agency has asked the Ministry of Information and Communications to tell Internet service and online game providers to use specialized software to control gamers and online games.

A total of 72 online games are distributed in Vietnam, two-thirds are rated as violent.

The Ministry of Information and Communications on July 27 decided to halt licensing new online games until the online games regulation is issued.